2023 Spring Practice Notes - Offensive Line

[brophog]

13 minutes ago, Huskerfollower4life said:

So if the run blocking does improve do you think that Grant should still be the leading running back?

 

I think we will see a pretty good split of carries. I do put some stock in the idea that he began to get worn down last year.

[Huskerfollower4life]

22 minutes ago, brophog said:

 

I think we will see a pretty good split of carries. I do put some stock in the idea that he began to get worn down last year.

I think it had a lot to do with how the run blocking was non existent at the end of the season and how he tried to bounce runs to the outside.

[Undone]

If Prochazka was suddenly completely rid of the injuries he's had and played the entire season 100% healthy and Nouili played at/above the level he was at in 2021, the line could look way better than last year.

 

Just so hard to say about Teddy's health though.

[Red Five]

1 hour ago, MyBloodIsRed16 said:

If I recall correctly last year coach Don had issues because he wasn't allowed to scheme the blocking how he wanted.  Like he wanted to coach one way and Frost and Whipple were like no no we want it this way.  Don't know if that's true or not but if it is then maybe the line improves in that area.  You would would think a guy who was taught how to run block at Wisconsin would know how to coach it.

 

We were told all last off season that Donnie was going to have them playing aggressive and "firing off the ball".  And Austin and Frost were the ones that had differences of opinions on how things should have been blocked/taught.

[Undone]

20 minutes ago, Red Five said:

 

We were told all last off season that Donnie was going to have them playing aggressive and "firing off the ball".  And Austin and Frost were the ones that had differences of opinions on how things should have been blocked/taught.

 

If you're saying that the narrative was most likely BS or just made up out of thin air from who knows, I'd say that's probably right.

When I read what the Short Side Option guy said about Frost's practices maybe not encouraging enough scrimmage time between the 1's, etc., I wonder if the line practiced too many drills and not enough live game simulation. You play like you practice, and several of those guys looked like their basic muscle memory and reaction times were just too slow. As if they just weren't prepared for the speed of the game on Saturdays.

I don't really think it ever had to do with Duvall not getting them strong enough or making them too strong (as I'd seen suggested by a couple people here if memory serves).

 

And if it had to do with the specific technique that was being coached, how could what Raiola was doing be so different other teams who at least have average line play with slightly-less-than-average talent?

 

Total speculation all around on my part.   

[RedDenver]

19 minutes ago, Red Five said:

 

We were told all last off season that Donnie was going to have them playing aggressive and "firing off the ball".  And Austin and Frost were the ones that had differences of opinions on how things should have been blocked/taught.

Maybe Austin and Frost had differences of opinions on how things should have been blocked/taught AND Donnie and Frost did as well.

[ColoradoHusk]

8 minutes ago, RedDenver said:

Maybe Austin and Frost had differences of opinions on how things should have been blocked/taught AND Donnie and Frost did as well.

Plus, there could have been differences in how Donovan likes to teach blocking and the blocking required in the play design from Whipple.

[Red Five]

46 minutes ago, Undone said:

If you're saying that the narrative was most likely BS or just made up out of thin air from who knows, I'd say that's probably right.

 

The whole "firing off the ball" thing that was brought up a lot last offseason like it was some new OL technique was complete coach speak BS.

 

47 minutes ago, Undone said:

I don't really think it ever had to do with Duvall not getting them strong enough or making them too strong (as I'd seen suggested by a couple people here if memory serves).

 

I think Duval was a problem with our OL.  I don't think it was about being strong or not, it was that he made them stiff as hell and turned their feet into cinder blocks.

[307husker]

On 7/18/2023 at 12:44 PM, Red Five said:

 

The whole "firing off the ball" thing that was brought up a lot last offseason like it was some new OL technique was complete coach speak BS.

 

 

I think Duval was a problem with our OL.  I don't think it was about being strong or not, it was that he made them stiff as hell and turned their feet into cinder blocks.

Duval must be some sort of evil wizard to have that much control over making players stiff and slow footed.

[Red Five]

1 hour ago, 307husker said:

Duval must be some sort of evil wizard to have that much control over making players stiff and slow footed.

 

Duval was absolutely a big part of our problems the last 5 years.

 

He has been a head S&C coach for 13 seasons.  His teams have 2 winning seasons and a record of 61-94 (.394).

[Stumpy1]

Duval sucked...

[thexyz]

On 7/18/2023 at 1:44 PM, Red Five said:

 

The whole "firing off the ball" thing that was brought up a lot last offseason like it was some new OL technique was complete coach speak BS.

 

 

I think Duval was a problem with our OL.  I don't think it was about being strong or not, it was that he made them stiff as hell and turned their feet into cinder blocks.

 

A big part of it anyway...It seemed to me that there was some improvement with the lineman's hip movement and strength in the spring game on both sides of the ball. That was the impression I got. 

 

Here's a Sports Illustrated article discussing Nebraska's strength and conditioning if anyone missed it.

 

https://www.si.com/college/2023/06/30/nebraska-strength-conditioning-development-future-matt-rhule

[The Dude]

On 7/18/2023 at 12:37 PM, Red Five said:

 

We were told all last off season that Donnie was going to have them playing aggressive and "firing off the ball".  And Austin and Frost were the ones that had differences of opinions on how things should have been blocked/taught.

 

"I know you're not qualified for this job, and we have differences of opinion on how you should do it.  That's why I'm hiring you for this job".

[Undone]

I guess nobody wanted to discuss that Sports Illustrated article that M.A. posted above. Maybe most people had already read it.

 

In that article you have Boyd Epley stating that Frost "underutilized" the NAPL sports lab that he had at his disposal. Not a bombshell comment but also still noteworthy. Then you have the new staff being excited about its potential and talking about their methods for being on the bleeding edge of maximizing performance & limiting injuries.

 

I don't really know how you get much of an advantage these days outside of the strong use of PED's, but you at least can't be underperforming in strength & conditioning.

[BigRedBuster]

3 minutes ago, Undone said:

I guess nobody wanted to discuss that Sports Illustrated article that M.A. posted above. Maybe most people had already read it.

 

In that article you have Boyd Epley stating that Frost "underutilized" the NAPL sports lab that he had at his disposal. Not a bombshell comment but also still noteworthy. Then you have the new staff being excited about its potential and talking about their methods for being on the bleeding edge of maximizing performance & limiting injuries.

 

I don't really know how you get much of an advantage these days outside of the strong use of PED's, but you at least can't be underperforming in strength & conditioning.

You have to use all resources that are available to you.  When you are the head of one of the top programs with resources, it's crazy not to use those resources to the best of your ability....especially when you aren't....and you keep losing.