Act like you've been coached. Play like you care.

Kernal

Kernal

Starter
Lee Barfknecht comes down pretty hard on the football team in his Sunday column. It's a pretty fair piece, even though it's probably not what many Husker fans want to be reminded of.

Lee's two longtime minimum standards for maintaining the trust of Husker fans are:

  1. Act like you've been coached.
  2. Play like you care.
I can't think of a couple better basic standards than those- especially "play like you care." Unfortunately, we seem to be falling short in both of those categories to varying degrees. And this isn't the first year. So why is it our players seem to struggle with these?

A couple other highlights:

Transition year or not, multiple injuries or not, marginal recruiting the past three years or not, leftover virus in the heads of the players or not, the fact is the Huskers should never — and I mean never — lose to Illinois and Northwestern in the same season.

....

The Illini have two winning records in conference play in the past 20 years. Their Big Ten success rate the past five seasons is 20 percent. And if you subtract the titanic 14-13 win over Nebraska three weeks ago, it’s 17.6 percent.

....

Still, the Wildcats have lost more games among all FBS schools (651) other than Big Ten brother Indiana (655). And their all-time bowl victory total? Two.
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In the two remaining home games, [the Huskers] will be underdogs — to No. 6 Michigan State on Nov. 7 and to No. 10 Iowa on Nov. 27.

Lose those two, and Nebraska ends up winless in home conference play for the first time in 54 seasons, and without a bowl bid for the third time in 47 years. And NU has five losses before November for the second time in 58 years.
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I was wedding yesterday. So today i popped on the dvr to check it out and the first thing i noticed was lack of effort. Lack of give-a-f#*k. Just an observation as i thought we were on our way to being over this hurdle. Only time will cure this issue. Its deeply engrained.

 
Count 'Bility said:
I was wedding yesterday. So today i popped on the dvr to check it out and the first thing i noticed was lack of effort. Lack of give-a-f#*k. Just an observation as i thought we were on our way to being over this hurdle. Only time will cure this issue. Its deeply engrained.
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Why do you think that is- that some players don't play like they care?

 
I think the players care and actually to me anyway they look like they're giving 100% out there. That's just my opinion. I think this team has talent. Enough to be better than 3-5. I think the rest is kind of obvious and might (does) fall under the 'Act like you've been coached' category.

 
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Kernal said:
Count 'Bility said:
I was wedding yesterday. So today i popped on the dvr to check it out and the first thing i noticed was lack of effort. Lack of give-a-f#*k. Just an observation as i thought we were on our way to being over this hurdle. Only time will cure this issue. Its deeply engrained.
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Why do you think that is- that some players don't play like they care?
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its too long a list. Some may be understandable. Some probably pretty petty. And some rather unique. But what i do know is these are 18-22 year olds playing big boy college football. Regardless of the coach its time to put the big boy pants or get the hell out. Thats the point im at with some guys. Watch the games. Open your mind a little. And youll agree.
 
I'd imagine it's mostly ignorant outsider perspectives not understanding or being able to see internal motivation.

Just because I think a player looks a certain way, has no bearing on what's actually going on. When I played sports in high school and college, I was as even keeled as they came. Never argued a call, never yelled, just played straight faced in all circumstances. But I don't believe anyone played harder or cared any more than I did.

 
It's funny. A few weeks ago, the Dolphins D looked like it was unmotivated, lacked effort and frankly didn't care.

Suddenly a coaching change and things have sparked there.

Too many fans confuse a lack of execution with a lack of effort. Execution is all about being put in a position to make plays with a relatively high % chance at success. That's what great coaches do. Anyone can draw up what "should work" on a chalk board, but football isn't that clean. Too many moving parts.

 
cm husker said:
It's funny. A few weeks ago, the Dolphins D looked like it was unmotivated, lacked effort and frankly didn't care.

Suddenly a coaching change and things have sparked there.
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True, and a big change in specific to that case was a new coach directly challenging their attitude.

There is a caveat: it's customary to see such a bump in performance immediately following a coaching change. However, over time the performance evens out to negate the effect. Time is needed to see if the coaching change is really the cause.

 
Kernal said:
Lee Barfknecht comes down pretty hard on the football team in his Sunday column. It's a pretty fair piece, even though it's probably not what many Husker fans want to be reminded of.

Lee's two longtime minimum standards for maintaining the trust of Husker fans are:

  1. Act like you've been coached.
  2. Play like you care
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2615078.jpg


 
I saw what looked like a certain player jogging off the field twice before the play was even over. I certainly agree that there seems to be a lack of give a f&%$!

 
The question that really needs to be answered, is what in the hell is wrong with them to the point that they actually don't care?

Because their former coach got canned?

Because they don't respect the coaches?

Because they feel like it's us against the world still?

 
Kernal said:
Count 'Bility said:
I was wedding yesterday. So today i popped on the dvr to check it out and the first thing i noticed was lack of effort. Lack of give-a-f#*k. Just an observation as i thought we were on our way to being over this hurdle. Only time will cure this issue. Its deeply engrained.
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Why do you think that is- that some players don't play like they care?
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IMO, it comes from the HC down. Look at what happened with USC and The U just recently: their HCs had "issues". By contrast, the team I am most enjoying following this year is Memphis under Justin Fuente. They play 4 qtrs with reckless abandon and that attitude is coming straight from Fuente. Fuente has them overachieving--well, it also helps when you have arguably the best qb in the country too(Lynch). Look at how McKlwain has turned around FL. The guy also has attitude.

 
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jimk said:
cm husker said:
jimk said:
I saw what looked like a certain player jogging off the field twice before the play was even over. I certainly agree that there seems to be a lack of give a f&%$!
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Which player?
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defense
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Are you saying it's the whole D or a player on the D?

Name the name. I'm really tired of the innuendo and broad accusations that cast aspersions on an entire team.

If you think one guy is lacking, call that guy out. Or don't say anything at all.

 
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