Offensive Line

[HuskerNation1]

I think most of Husker Nation is in agreement that our O-line is one of the top trouble spots for the team (and has been for a while).  What is the biggest contributor to the poor play.  Is it physical weakness/size, poor technique, or something else?  

 

Also, who would you start on the O-line the rest of the year.  I have not wanted to rewind the last couple games to see who is getting beat and missing their assignments.  

[billdozer15]

All of the above. There isn't a single lineman that would start for another B1G school. They are that bad.

[Hedley Lamarr]

All I know is our line went from dumpster fire to almost serviceable when conrad was out last year. 

 

The two most vocal guys of foster and farmer need to get in people's faces and demand better, they also have to do better themselves. 

 

We were a 4-8 pro style team last year with 3 years of pro system recruits. We are now a 0-3 spread system with 1 recruiting class of spread system players. 

 

Not sure why anyone is amazed by this. We are overall slow. 

[Making Chimichangas]

2 minutes ago, HuskerNation1 said:

I think most of Husker Nation is in agreement that our O-line is one of the top trouble spots for the team (and has been for a while).  What is the biggest contributor to the poor play.  Is it physical weakness/size, poor technique, or something else?  

 

Also, who would you start on the O-line the rest of the year.  I have not wanted to rewind the last couple games to see who is getting beat and missing their assignments.  

 

I forgot the "time stamp" of the play, but it exemplified Nebraska's OL problems: we had a screen set up and all we had to do was block the Michigan safety...couldn't get it done.

 

Honestly, I stopped watching once it got to 23-0.  I started fast forwarding through the game and became more dismayed as it went along.  

 

 

[commando]

i trust that the coaches have the best players out there already.    and i hope that maybe it's still an issue of getting 2nd nature with the new blocking assignments for this offense compared to the last offense.  .

[HuskerNation1]

4 minutes ago, Hedley Lamarr said:

All I know is our line went from dumpster fire to almost serviceable when conrad was out last year. 

 

The two most vocal guys of foster and farmer need to get in people's faces and demand better, they also have to do better themselves. 

 

We were a 4-8 pro style team last year with 3 years of pro system recruits. We are now a 0-3 spread system with 1 recruiting class of spread system players. 

 

Not sure why anyone is amazed by this. We are overall slow. 

 

I love Farmer's attitude but I have not watched close enough to see if he is part of the issue in terms of pass protection and blocking.  

[Caliborn72]

Probably a bit of everything. Michigan has a really active front 7 and some big time athletes over there. When Jaimes is getting his butt kicked too, you know it’s rough out there.

 

I think the worst thing for a team is to have starters by default: guys who are just handed the starting position and never really have to compete for it in camp. Maybe it’s fine at a couple positions here and there, but there was never really true competition at any spot on the OLine in my opinion, shoot we don’t even have depth guys to give them breathers.

[C-4]

It's at least partially due to recruiting. While we can wine and dine 4* star QBs, RBs, and WRs.... we can't do so for the offensive line. Perhaps even worse: we seem to take around 3 OL per class, which is on par with RB and less than WR. That's always irritated the hell out of me. You have 5 lineman who play on any given play; you have one running back on any given play. This is not good allocation of resources.

 

Moreso than any other unit (weapons as well as QB), the most predicative unit for offensive success in college is the offensive line. We need our recruiting to reflect this. We need better line recruits, and more line recruits.

[HuskerNation1]

5 minutes ago, C-4 said:

It's at least partially due to recruiting. While we can wine and dine 4* star QBs, RBs, and WRs.... we can't do so for the offensive line. Perhaps even worse: we seem to take around 3 OL per class, which is on par with RB and less than WR. That's always irritated the hell out of me. You have 5 lineman who play on any given play; you have one running back on any given play. This is not good allocation of resources.

 

Moreso than any other unit (weapons as well as QB), the most predicative unit for offensive success in college is the offensive line. We need our recruiting to reflect this. We need better line recruits, and more line recruits.

 

That's a good point.  I thought we had one good OL recruiting class that had Raridon, Farniok and Wilson all being near 4-stars, but perhaps they are not showing the ability to be 4-stars in college.  

[onlyHskrfaninIL]

as I've said before, the lack of communication or knowing assignments is mostly on the center.  i'm not sure what the coaches see in him, but conrad has never been close to effective.  I would play him only in a reserve role.  I would move farmer (although he kind of sucks too) or wilson to center and let them learn on the job.  the other would play guard.  imo getting conrad out of there would be surprisingly effective like it was last year.  i would stick with the tackles and let them try and develop although farniok might end up being a guard.

[lo country]

38 minutes ago, Hedley Lamarr said:

All I know is our line went from dumpster fire to almost serviceable when conrad was out last year. 

 

The two most vocal guys of foster and farmer need to get in people's faces and demand better, they also have to do better themselves. 

 

We were a 4-8 pro style team last year with 3 years of pro system recruits. We are now a 0-3 spread system with 1 recruiting class of spread system players. 

 

Not sure why anyone is amazed by this. We are overall slow. 

Said something similar in the game thread.  We are simply in another year of square peg meet round hole.  Frost has his QB, but the OL were all recruited for a prostyle O.  Pass pro, straight blocking, ht on hat...Not pulling, not up tempo etc......DL was recruited to play Baker ball, then switched to a 3-4 (ie the strain) so those guys are in there 3rd scheme in 3 years, new position coaches, etc....It'll take 2-3 more years IMHO to get the guys in where top to bottom, they were recruited by and for a specific scheme and have the same position coach from when they were recruited to when they graduate (I hope).  

 

This team needs a vocal, get in your face leadership for sure.  The whole, I like to lead by example is great.  Whoever that guy(s) is, I'll give you a hint.  No one is watching. Open mouth and yell.....

[GBRFAN]

51 minutes ago, HuskerNation1 said:

 

That's a good point.  I thought we had one good OL recruiting class that had Raridon, Farniok and Wilson all being near 4-stars, but perhaps they are not showing the ability to be 4-stars in college.  

 

They are all in there second full season - 2 of the 3 should start to show next season 

[Whistlebritches]

2 hours ago, Making Chimichangas said:

 

I forgot the "time stamp" of the play, but it exemplified Nebraska's OL problems: we had a screen set up and all we had to do was block the Michigan safety...couldn't get it done.

 

Honestly, I stopped watching once it got to 23-0.  I started fast forwarding through the game and became more dismayed as it went along.  

 

 

The play that sticks out to me was in the first quarter and Michigan got a sack while rushing like 3 guys. In the frame you could see all five NU o-lineman looking for someone to block. Total breakdown.

[Making Chimichangas]

3 minutes ago, Whistlebritches said:

The play that sticks out to me was in the first quarter and Michigan got a sack while rushing like 3 guys. In the frame you could see all five NU o-lineman looking for someone to block. Total breakdown.

 

I mostly concur.  But I also have to give credit to Michigan's front seven...they were way better than our OL.  

 

And while I am thinking of these things: Nebraska's TEs couldn't block high school defenders.

 

 

[C N Red]

Everybody wants the great WRS, RBS, etc. We need to go hard after the best olineman in recruiting. Without a good OL we wont get anywhere. We need some major turnover in the OL.