Nebraska55fan
Banned
Agree 100%. One of my favorite plays. Run it to the boundary and run it on FIRST DOWN- right after change of possession.
Adrian Martinez
- Thread starter 308_Husker
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Undone
All-American
@Guy Chamberlin: I don't think your run game has to be "working" in order for play action to be effective. A lot of it is about the amount of times you're calling handoffs to your running back - especially inside.
If you go back and watch our first couple of drives, that's what we seemed to be trying to lay the foundation with. Which is why I agree with @Nebraska55fan's assessment of dialing up play action in the first half when things weren't working on the ground.
If you go back and watch our first couple of drives, that's what we seemed to be trying to lay the foundation with. Which is why I agree with @Nebraska55fan's assessment of dialing up play action in the first half when things weren't working on the ground.
Guy Chamberlin
Heisman Trophy Winner
It kills me because Scott Frost ran the best play-action fakes of any Husker QB ever. He wasn't the best passer, but his play action fakes got those receivers WIDE open.
krc1995
Heisman Trophy Winner
Guy Chamberlin
Heisman Trophy Winner
Sure. You don't keep banging your head against the wall, but when you start mixing it up and making linebackers commit, those plays that didn't work in the first quarter start working in the third quarter. Even in the fourth quarter Nebraska had time to call more strategic running plays.
But play action is totally ineffective when the formation, the body language, and the play-calling history tells you Adrian Martinez is going to drop back and pass.
Nebraska55fan
Banned
Allen is a HUGE target and he can get open off that fake side, chip block with the flanker clearing. Clear sight line with run pass option- not sure why they don't run it. Toss it out of bounds if nothing is there.
Undone
All-American
Agreed. And Martinez is typically at his best when he's rolling out anyway.
Again, I typically shy away from crapping on play calling. For instance on the 3rd & 2 where Frost goes empty backfield, five wide...typically not something I've seen Adrian & our offensive line execute well. But on the other hand maybe it was a play we ran a million times in camp as our "3rd & 2 play." I would have liked to have just called a handoff to Stepp on that play...but that's how hindsight works.
So play calling isn't something I'm going to sit here and rag hard on. But I'd classify the problem as being more about Frost not adjusting quick enough.
The game might have been a win if the plays we ran starting in the third quarter were called starting in the 2nd.
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NebraskaHarry
All-Conference
I dont think i really want to analyze Martinez's passing game except say that it's frustrating. Hope the kid turns it around, cause his game is awful right now.
ZRod
Heisman Trophy Winner
Allen is great in the passing game, but he's not a good blocker. He flat out missed blocks last Saturday and a few cost us yardage. Last year he missed some chip blocks too that lead to sacks or broken plays. I wish he was more of a complete package.
Personally I still think Frost's play calling is good. The players just don't execute. But that also means he doesn't understand his teams strength and weaknesses. Like why the hell can't we still block inside zone after 2 years???
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I am I
All-Conference
My issue w Frost play calling is that he doesn’t seem to sequentially set up his plays in a drive, let alone plays in the 1st qtr that set up plays in the 4th qtr. And finally, one game to the next.
I watched damn near every game during the BS lockdown on YouTube from 82-97 and Osborne was the best there’s ever been at setting up plays in a drive, game, and season.
seems like Frost is either trying to get 27yds on one play or just 3-4 for a 1st down drive after drive after drive. Like, fake a reverse in the 1st qtr so you can actually use it in the 3rd or even the next weeks game. Let alone just making the next opponent practice for it.
I know without actually gaining 3-6 yds on rush plays means you’re always behind the sticks, but damn. Run some traps and fakes to suck them in and go over the top w PA or naked boots.
otherwise, yeah…the players gotta execute also to set themselves up.
I watched damn near every game during the BS lockdown on YouTube from 82-97 and Osborne was the best there’s ever been at setting up plays in a drive, game, and season.
seems like Frost is either trying to get 27yds on one play or just 3-4 for a 1st down drive after drive after drive. Like, fake a reverse in the 1st qtr so you can actually use it in the 3rd or even the next weeks game. Let alone just making the next opponent practice for it.
I know without actually gaining 3-6 yds on rush plays means you’re always behind the sticks, but damn. Run some traps and fakes to suck them in and go over the top w PA or naked boots.
otherwise, yeah…the players gotta execute also to set themselves up.
At this point, I think AM is what he is and it's not going to change to any measurable degree.
I know it's completely unfair to compare one game to an entire season, but I'm going to do it anyways. His game 1 performance against Illinois was about on par with his career stats overall.
Lorewarn
All-Conference
His completion percentage vs Illinois is 13.6% lower than his career and his QBR is 13.9 points lower than his career. No point, just the data.
I rewatched all the offensive snaps and Adrian wasn't as bad as I thought. He wasn't good, in fact it was probably in his worst 3 performances of his career, but he kept us in the game as much as he took us out of it (which is a familiar sentiment for me).
He had some really solid throws, and his decision-making and pocket awareness were actually pretty good for 90% of the game, but his execution was arguably the worst I've seen. I saw one of the crucially bad overthrows was on a play where he progressed through to his 3rd read and had a collapsing pocket in front of him keeping him from being able to step into it. The throw was BAD, but it's easier to understand that there was a somewhat reasonable reason that one throw was off.
Ugh.
admo
Heisman Trophy Winner
He's an impatient play caller. He wants to out-think every defense. As much as I don't like a slow boring game, it really is the way of the big ten. Bret Bielema knew the situation, and along with his staff (OC & communication), slowly moved the sticks. Huskers eventually crumbled on plays here and there, and Illinois took advantage of it. Didn't take much. But Bielema out coached Frost - big ten style.
BigRedBuster
International Man of Mystery
Undone
All-American
Agreed. From a high level I do think he has adjusted since he arrived from wanting to do a carbon copy of the "2017 UCF" thing to now wanting to be centered more around power running. Which is smart.
But as you mentioned in the other part of your post, our front 5 to 7 guys have to block.
And I think the same thing of designing plays your players can actually execute applies to the 3rd & 2 where Martinez fumbled. I have never seen our O-line under Frost be able to handle a rush with just our base 5 guys. They're just not good enough, by and large. They need at least a RB back there to help block.