Life without Newby

[ColoradoHusk]

I'm not confident at all with the way these coaches have handled our run game including what backs they decided to use and when and how they used them. I don't see much changing next year. More like waiting to see what running back magically disappears from the field again next year... I used to get excited about our running game. Not anymore sadly enough...

I'm also not confident that the run game will be a big part of the offense going forward. Langsdorf wants to pass the ball, so the run game will always be secondary in his offense.

[knapplc]

I'd be fine running our statistically worst I-Back of the last 50 years out there behind a stalwart Offensive Line.

 

Honestly. We could have Rozier, Phillips or Abdullah back there. Without a good O Line, it won't matter much.

[suh_fan93]

 

I'm not confident at all with the way these coaches have handled our run game including what backs they decided to use and when and how they used them. I don't see much changing next year. More like waiting to see what running back magically disappears from the field again next year... I used to get excited about our running game. Not anymore sadly enough...

 

I'm also not confident that the run game will be a big part of the offense going forward. Langsdorf wants to pass the ball, so the run game will always be secondary in his offense.

I don't even know what next year is going to not just look like but feel like with the passing QB's who will be taking over and how the run game will fit into that. Gotta admit I miss the days where the run game was at least emphasized more.

[Crashman44b]

IIRC Newby was the #1 rated RB out of Cali, and Adam Taylor was the #1 rated back out of Texas. I remember thinking that they were going to light the world on fire. Newby at least contributed some meaningful snaps, however I'd say his career was overall a letdown.

 

What happened to Taylor though? Injury bug? Transfer?

He broke his ankle in 2014. Maybe he never fully recovered mentally or physically from this. They also ran the hell out of this kid down in Katy Texas in high school his senior year. Maybe he has nothing left in the tank and is a "do what i have to get my degree and get the hell out" type of guy. I was super high on Adam also. His offer list was impressive.

[GBRFAN]

Adam Taylor looked like he was 25 when he was 17. This is why recruiting ranks are so far off. Back in the day NU staff looked for shoe sizes and bone structure more than media hype. Guys that mature early get early hype and early stars. Sometimes they don't work as hard as the kids that have been told that they will not make it (ex: Ameer) - not saying that AT didn't try he just got there early and didn't progress anymore.

[JJ Husker]

Newby was not the problem with our run game. If he had been provided a good O line and favorable play calling, he would've been right up there with our top RB's of the last 15 years.

 

I am excited to see what some of the other up and comers will do but if the O line doesn't improve and if Langs insists on running quick scat backs between the tackles and trying to get the edge with punishing runners, well, we'll just have more years like this one.

[marko polo]

Without this Oline getting way better it is not gonna make a diff.

[Enhance]

Newby was not the problem with our run game. If he had been provided a good O line and favorable play calling, he would've been right up there with our top RB's of the last 15 years.

In my opinion, Newby needed to have the most things go right in order to be successful. Some backs are able to make up for the faults around them based on their athleticism and football skill, and I don't think Newby is/was one of those types of players.

 

That's partially why I disagree with the notion that he'd be up there with the best backs of the last 15 years if things were different, or that he'd be to the level of Abdullah if he had an extra year of eligibility (as someone posted above.) First, you could say that about a lot of backs, and second, I don't look at Newby and see the same type of skill/athletic ability associated with some of the other recent backs.

 

I think Tre Bryant is setting himself up to be a special talent, but as others have mentioned, Nebraska has gotten by for far too long on mediocre line play. Conference titles and playoff berths won't be a reality until that changes.

[suh_fan93]

About Newby though. He has great speed imo. A few times he took an inside handoff and bolted out to and beat the defenders to the edge and that was awesome. Also he can catch. To me that's huge.

 

Will just say though that in all fairness almost any decent running back can look like a heisman winner behind a great offensive line. Anyway Newby seemed to show some cut ability I thought in the second half of the season too. Just wish he could show that more. This was definitely his best season.

[ColoradoHusk]

Newby's biggest loss will be felt in his pass blocking. With a far less-mobile QB and a more pass-oriented offense, the RB's are going to have to help out of pass-blocking quite a bit next year.

[TGHusker]

I think Tre Bryant will bring a explosiveness to the position that we haven't seen for quite some time. I'd like to see our fullbacks get utilized more too.

I agree wt this 100%. Tre looked like the real deal and with a healthy, improved line next year, I think he will be our next great back. I was disappointed in the non-use of our FB this year after we did so well last year with that position. I hope we can incorporate the FB into more plays (maybe give up the long bombs that Langs had TA throw at the worst times!)

[RedSavage]

Newby was not the problem with our run game. If he had been provided a good O line and favorable play calling, he would've been right up there with our top RB's of the last 15 years.

 

I am excited to see what some of the other up and comers will do but if the O line doesn't improve and if Langs insists on running quick scat backs between the tackles and trying to get the edge with punishing runners, well, we'll just have more years like this one.

Not sure I can completely agree with that. I agree Newby was not the main problem but Ameer faced many of the same problems and was able to turn nothing into something countless times.

 

 

I do agree about the O-line needing to be better and Langs figuring out how to best utilize our RB's

[JJ Husker]

 

Newby was not the problem with our run game. If he had been provided a good O line and favorable play calling, he would've been right up there with our top RB's of the last 15 years.

 

In my opinion, Newby needed to have the most things go right in order to be successful. Some backs are able to make up for the faults around them based on their athleticism and football skill, and I don't think Newby is/was one of those types of players.

 

That's partially why I disagree with the notion that he'd be up there with the best backs of the last 15 years if things were different, or that he'd be to the level of Abdullah if he had an extra year of eligibility (as someone posted above.) First, you could say that about a lot of backs, and second, I don't look at Newby and see the same type of skill/athletic ability associated with some of the other recent backs.

 

I think Tre Bryant is setting himself up to be a special talent, but as others have mentioned, Nebraska has gotten by for far too long on mediocre line play. Conference titles and playoff berths won't be a reality until that changes.

 

Newby was not the problem with our run game. If he had been provided a good O line and favorable play calling, he would've been right up there with our top RB's of the last 15 years.

I am excited to see what some of the other up and comers will do but if the O line doesn't improve and if Langs insists on running quick scat backs between the tackles and trying to get the edge with punishing runners, well, we'll just have more years like this one.

 

Not sure I can completely agree with that. I agree Newby was not the main problem but Ameer faced many of the same problems and was able to turn nothing into something countless times.

 

 

I do agree about the O-line needing to be better and Langs figuring out how to best utilize our RB's

It was not my intention to claim he is or would've been as good as Ameer. Ameer was a special one and in a class above the others. But Rex, Helu, etc....yeah, I think Newby had the potential to be every bit the RB those guys were. Just unfortunate that he wasn't utilized to the strengths of his ability IMO.

[MyBloodIsRed16]

Newby was not the problem with our run game. If he had been provided a good O line and favorable play calling, he would've been right up there with our top RB's of the last 15 years.

 

I am excited to see what some of the other up and comers will do but if the O line doesn't improve and if Langs insists on running quick scat backs between the tackles and trying to get the edge with punishing runners, well, we'll just have more years like this one.

Newby made the line look bad at times because he continually misread his blocks. He wouldn't cut off his blocker's ass and try to go around essentially gift wrapping a tackle for the defense. He was also not very good at breaking tackles

[MyBloodIsRed16]

IIRC Newby was the #1 rated RB out of Cali, and Adam Taylor was the #1 rated back out of Texas. I remember thinking that they were going to light the world on fire. Newby at least contributed some meaningful snaps, however I'd say his career was overall a letdown.

 

What happened to Taylor though? Injury bug? Transfer?

I thought Adam Taylor was a better back coming out, not sure what happend to him. Newby's entire highlight tape was him getting a toss and just getting to the sideline and out running everyone. Maybe he made a cut to beat one defender. That doesn't translate to college. Then he got here and would get carries and run to the sideline and have nowhere to go. He also fumbled every other carry and never understood why they wasted carries on him. I'm just speculating but if you go back to last year I'm willing to bet Imani Cross had more 10+ yard carries than Newby behind the same O-line