2018 Husker Camp Countdown

[84HuskerLaw]

I guess time will tell but I suspect Ozigbo (my favorite of the RBs we've seen in real game action) will get more action than many on this board (most have been so negative on him) believe.   Until I see a RB with real 4.35 speed and decent size and elusiveness carry the ball for NU (Abdulah  only bigger preferably), I feel we need the pushing power.

 

I know we all have opinions but with the shaky O line we really haven't seen what any of our RBs can really do.   Unless the line blocks dramatically better, the RB is going to have to get 3 or 4 yards inside mostly on his own. 

 

We need 'scat' backs as well and Frost understands there is NO substitute for pure speed for WRs and RBs and the QB can use every bit of it as well.   However, until we see real break away plays (not just potential), we better get the tough yards.   The run game is not adequately supplanted by little flair and swing passes to the scat backs out of the backfield.  That is the Texas Tech (M. Leach) idea.   We haven't seen what this team can do so I will remain optimistic despite all the naysayers on this board and acorss the country.   Frost will field a better team than a 5 or 6 win team surely.  Again, the O line is the KEY element.   The rest of the squad has enough to win more than we lose in my view.  But only if we can find a ways to rush for 200 yards or more per game and throw for that many or more as well.          

[Mavric]

1 hour ago, 84HuskerLaw said:

I guess time will tell but I suspect Ozigbo (my favorite of the RBs we've seen in real game action) will get more action than many on this board (most have been so negative on him) believe.   Until I see a RB with real 4.35 speed and decent size and elusiveness carry the ball for NU (Abdulah  only bigger preferably), I feel we need the pushing power.

 

Considering there have only been seven RBs at the NFL Combine run 4.35 or faster in the past 13 years, I imagine you're going to be waiting awhile until one shows up at DONU.

 

Good for you, I guess.

[brophog]

10 hours ago, Mavric said:

 

If they re-did this list after the season, I don't think Ozigbo is in the Top 50

 

I agree, but even in the last staff's offense he wouldn't have been if someone else would step up. He's never been the choice back.

[ColoradoHusk]

5 minutes ago, brophog said:

 

I agree, but even in the last staff's offense he wouldn't have been if someone else would step up. He's never been the choice back.

I don’t get the love for Ozigbo. I swear some people just like the big I-back for absolutely no reason at all. Whether it’s been Quentin Castille, Imani Cross, and now Ozigbo, these guys have always been pushed by a sect of NU fans to get more carries. 

[Mavric]

19 minutes ago, brophog said:

I agree, but even in the last staff's offense he wouldn't have been if someone else would step up. He's never been the choice back.

 

Yeah, I thought the previous staff had finally figured it out after he was basically fourth-string coming out of spring ball.

 

But then one guy gets hurt and all of the sudden he's back in there.

[Redux]

I fail to see the down side of utilizing a big bruiser back in the redzone instead of shooting your speed back into a pile of defenders.

[Mavric]

14 minutes ago, Redux said:

I fail to see the down side of utilizing a big bruiser back in the redzone instead of shooting your speed back into a pile of defenders.

 

Those are not the only two options

[Redux]

1 hour ago, Mavric said:

 

Those are not the only two options

 

Who said they were?

[Hunter94]

i think Frost has alluded to speed enough that we will see the fastest guys on the field most of the time. the trend has been to give the ball to the guy who can take it to the house......the dive plays for 3-4 yards is only a situational play. i would guess Bell will be the feature guy, most of the time. I am assuming Trey is not going to see full time duty.........that knee is still suspect, i would guess.

[Mavric]

Quote

#27 - Mikale Wilbon

5-9 • 200 • Senior • Running back

Of Nebraska’s running backs already on the roster, Wilbon fits best into what coach Scott Frost and assistant Ryan Held want. Even so, the Huskers signed a junior college running back in Greg Bell, showing they weren’t comfortable with where they stood. Similar to Devine Ozigbo, Wilbon hasn’t shown breakout speed in the open field. His longest run at Nebraska is 32 yards; his longest reception is 14. He needs to slim down — as coaches have said — and, like Ozigbo, prove he isn’t just a between-the-tackles back and can make plays in the open field.

 

OWH

[ColoradoHusk]

14 hours ago, Redux said:

I fail to see the down side of utilizing a big bruiser back in the redzone instead of shooting your speed back into a pile of defenders.

I'd rather have a guy who can find creases and can make himself small in a pile of defenders.  Rex Burkhead was amazing in short-yardage situations by doing this.

[brophog]

You also don't often see a pile of defenders with this offense. The goal line calls we saw in the spring game are pretty indicative of how this offense handles redzone situations. This is a shotgun oriented offense, and it's not like it's going to switch to multiple tights running iso just because it's at the goal line. It's going to be via the QB run with things like bootlegs or power, quick throws to the outside, sneaking tight ends out the backside, creating favorable numbers to run into in the box....

 

The field may shrink vertically at the goal line, but it's still 53 yards wide, and Frost uses that well.

[ColoradoHusk]

14 minutes ago, brophog said:

You also don't often see a pile of defenders with this offense. The goal line calls we saw in the spring game are pretty indicative of how this offense handles redzone situations. This is a shotgun oriented offense, and it's not like it's going to switch to multiple tights running iso just because it's at the goal line. It's going to be via the QB run with things like bootlegs or power, quick throws to the outside, sneaking tight ends out the backside, creating favorable numbers to run into in the box....

 

The field may shrink vertically at the goal line, but it's still 53 yards wide, and Frost uses that well.

Fullback Guy (84HuskerLaw) won't be able to handle that.

[Mavric]

Quote

#27 - Mike Williams

5-10 • 175 • Junior • Wide receiver

At East Mississippi Community College, Williams had seven touchdowns and averaged 23.2 yards per catch. He has taken quite a path to Nebraska, including one season at Georgia Southern, where he caught three passes for 27 yards. At Nebraska with Troy Walters, Williams’ potential could be unlocked. Williams could be a key play-action pass guy for big chunks of yards.

 

OWH

[84HuskerLaw]

On 7/12/2018 at 2:43 PM, ColoradoHusk said:

Fullback Guy (84HuskerLaw) won't be able to handle that.

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.   But more importantly, if your line is slow, lumbering and mediocre, at best, in moving and making holes, your left with pass pass pass (sack, sack, INT, incomplete, sack, short gain, etc. and repeat as necessary).   Or, you attempt to use bulk when finesse doesn't work.   Dance in the backfield and you get no gain or loss of two. '

 

And, finally, we have not seen any real lightning in the RB core so if you can't break tackles or push the pile, you gotta be elite elusive.   None of our backs are Troy Davis who was able to run inside and effectively outside some despite a lackluster O line.   I will be quite happy if we put a RB out there who can make the big plays and get first downs consistantly.   I have always looked at a RB's stats with this simple .  Assuming a runner has 40 or so carries to get him a decent sample number of plays, then throw out the two longest and two shortest carries and compute his average per carry.   That will give a better indication of his 'typical' gain.

 

We haven't seen enough of our RBs catching passes out of the backfield to really assess their capabilities either as our QBs and or O line, hasn't been able set up and make these plays.   I love the good old fashioned screen pass but it seems nobody really knows how to call them situationally or properly executed them in so long, you have to go back to Callahan (and that is too painful) to see many.    We've had far too many third and longs facing almost certain blitz and so on.  Those plays are high risk and more often than not end badly.      The run game needs to keep us in 3rd and short and medium.  Our QB play will need to be better than we've seen in half a dozen years as well.   Houdini will have to work his Qb magic to save us as well.