Beck telegraphing Imani Cross short-yardage runs

[lo country]

But what would have happened if they would have ran a play action pass then Taylor misses an open man, or Reed or whoever drops the pass? We're back to square one bit*hing that Beck didn't run it with Cross.

True, but why is play-action pass the only other option? A trap play using FB dive or naked run by Martinez after faking it to Cross are other high-percentage options

This

Beck's playcalling after our big break in the endzone was pretty uninspired. You can only run AA wide and Cross on short-yardage so many times. We were just trying to hold on to the win rather than score and put the game away. TM was playing well, give him a bootleg pass-run option or play-action. When Beck was really trying to score in the second-half,mixing it up more, we were moving the ball all over PSU. We also had some meh playcalling in the first half on those redzone stops. We do still miss the every-down ability of Burkhead.

Not saying I'm unhappy with Beck but there were times I was frustrated with him today.

This^. Not unhappy, just frustrated at times. I wish that the staff would always "play to win" vs "playing to not lose". Get that killer mentality. If it means we run up the score so be it. Beat teams so bad this year,they get worried to play us next year.

 

[FriendlyLurker2007]

ya and i hate the fact that we average 30+ pts/game and 400+ yds/game..... :moreinteresting :moreinteresting :moreinteresting

 

[huskered17]

My point was when we went for it in the 4th IIRC, and it was 3rd and 1. PSU knew it was coming and stopped it. When they saw Cross, they knew it would be the dive play. I would have loved to have seen play action, you know, fake the ball to Cross so that the D collapses at the line, Martinez pulls out the ball and hits a dump pass to the TE dragging the middle. The play did work, on the goal line, and was a thing of beauty. Just hope that Beck opens the playbook more with Cross and uses the obvious to create some TD's dow the road.

A 100% success rate is unrealistic. In regards to that play, I thought at the time Cross could have had that first down if he had made a different cut/read, whatever you want to call it. I think he took it a little too far to the outside. That's just what I saw though and I could be wrong.

No,your right. First thing I noticed on that play,

GBR!!!

 

[huskered17]

Where is everyone saying Beck doesn't stick with something that is working?? You can't have it both ways. If you stick with something that's working, you run it until they stop it. Also, make sure to keep the thread spiffy, since they're apparently being locked if they annoy mods now. I'm sure we have some anti-annoyance ointment around here somewhere.

Complain for WEEKS how we never see Cross in on short yardage situations and that if he were back there we'd convert every short yardage conversion and now people complain we see it too much?

I'm not <_<

GBR!!!

 

[flatwaterfan]

They had a nice play action pass to Cotton on the toss sweep. That was sweet. I imagine they should have a play action off that dive pass. They could do a jump pass with it! That'd be sweet too! I was glad too see them run Imani in those situations and he did a great job. I also think there was one time when he got stopped where I thought he ran too high but he's young and his technique will get better. Wait until he gets behind his pads on every run. WOW he will be a force! Also thought Heard ran hard and looked really good! Imani is a great kid and I enjoyed his interview with Big Red Wrapup the other day. Very likeable! Same with Eric Martin and Compton in their interviews with BTN. Caveman has an infectious personality. Has a smile that lights up a room. He may talk trash, but you know it's in good fun. (Right up too the time he clocks you. heh heh heh) Compton's personality also showed through at the end of his interview. I like seeing the players happy and having some fun. You got to enjoy it!

 

[huskered17]

I'm sold on him being our short-yardage back now. He ran too "upright" earlier in the season, and was too tentative. Today he stayed low and ran downhill, hard.

I don't think anyone can accuse Beck of "going away from what works" today. :lol:

But we saw what happens when we stick with what's working, the other team figures out how to stop it. I'll be really surprised if we don't see PA out of that at some point.

We can agree to disagree, on how he was running earlier in the season. It looks like it is fixed now. His being stopped on the that last try, was having him try to take it out wider. Everything I have seen with him, is he is almost impossible to stop straight ahead.

Anyway good to finally see Beck call his number.

GBR!!!

 

[flatwaterfan]

I'm sold on him being our short-yardage back now. He ran too "upright" earlier in the season, and was too tentative. Today he stayed low and ran downhill, hard.

I don't think anyone can accuse Beck of "going away from what works" today. :lol:

But we saw what happens when we stick with what's working, the other team figures out how to stop it. I'll be really surprised if we don't see PA out of that at some point.

We can agree to disagree, on how he was running earlier in the season. It looks like it is fixed now. His being stopped on the that last try, was having him try to take it out wider. Everything I have seen with him, is he is almost impossible to stop straight ahead.

Anyway good to finally see Beck call his number.

GBR!!!

Good point on the widening. When shoulders aren't parallel to the LOS you lose that forward force going into contact. Just have to make a quicker, sharper cut with a good body lean . Again, the more reps he gets the more he will refine those points.

 

[In the Deed the Glory]

My point was when we went for it in the 4th IIRC, and it was 3rd and 1. PSU knew it was coming and stopped it. When they saw Cross, they knew it would be the dive play. I would have loved to have seen play action, you know, fake the ball to Cross so that the D collapses at the line, Martinez pulls out the ball and hits a dump pass to the TE dragging the middle. The play did work, on the goal line, and was a thing of beauty. Just hope that Beck opens the playbook more with Cross and uses the obvious to create some TD's dow the road.

We're gonna need it if we make it to Indy..................Wisconsin is improved from when we played them from what I've heard. I haven't watched them personally so take that for what it is.

They beat up on Indiana, not a great accomplishment. Its not like they improved drastically and we didn't. I would say both teams improved somewhat, NU's defense is much improved from that time. Think a Rose Bowl is the expectation for this season from this point forward. Just win, baby!

 

[nhuskers5]

All game I was expecting a play action pass off of that set. It never came, but I bet Beck has one in his pocket.

That would be the perfect play. Line up with Jano and Cross, fake and hit a middle screen or Martinez on a naked bootleg around the edge. Would like to think Beck was "putting this on film" for future use, but he has not shown me he is really that experienced to think that far ahead. Improving, but that whole sweep play was awesome about 5 minutes into the 1st and then started ticking me off!

I'm sure there are variations off of the play, we just really didn't have a chance to run them. We ran that formation maybe six times, and three of those were when we were trying to milk the clock. Just because we didn't see it doesn't mean it's non-existent. No need to bash on Beck yet...

As for the toss sweep, I hear a large section of this board complaining about Beck "not sticking with what works". Well, he found a play that worked, and he used it often...and now people are saying that running the same play was ticking them off. What do you people want?

 

[lo country]

My point was when we went for it in the 4th IIRC, and it was 3rd and 1. PSU knew it was coming and stopped it. When they saw Cross, they knew it would be the dive play. I would have loved to have seen play action, you know, fake the ball to Cross so that the D collapses at the line, Martinez pulls out the ball and hits a dump pass to the TE dragging the middle. The play did work, on the goal line, and was a thing of beauty. Just hope that Beck opens the playbook more with Cross and uses the obvious to create some TD's dow the road.

We're gonna need it if we make it to Indy..................Wisconsin is improved from when we played them from what I've heard. I haven't watched them personally so take that for what it is.

They beat up on Indiana, not a great accomplishment. Its not like they improved drastically and we didn't. I would say both teams improved somewhat, NU's defense is much improved from that time. Think a Rose Bowl is the expectation for this season from this point forward. Just win, baby!

It would be great to finally win a conference championship and go to a BCS bowl. Last conference title was what 1999? Last BCS bowl 2001. We are due for sure.

Nothing helps recruiting like winning.

 

[WhatDoIKnow]

Epic consistency. Beck does what everyone's been calling for for weeks. And then gets second guessed.

^This

 

[Flood]

Have said it before, and I am sure I will say it many times while Cross is here.

Imani looks like a 32 year old 8 time Pro Bowler. He is a beast, and looks far older and more mature physically than anyone his age I have seen in a very long time.

Cannot wait until his Jr/Sr years. Look out!

 

[BIGREDIOWAN]

My point was when we went for it in the 4th IIRC, and it was 3rd and 1. PSU knew it was coming and stopped it. When they saw Cross, they knew it would be the dive play. I would have loved to have seen play action, you know, fake the ball to Cross so that the D collapses at the line, Martinez pulls out the ball and hits a dump pass to the TE dragging the middle. The play did work, on the goal line, and was a thing of beauty. Just hope that Beck opens the playbook more with Cross and uses the obvious to create some TD's dow the road.

We're gonna need it if we make it to Indy..................Wisconsin is improved from when we played them from what I've heard. I haven't watched them personally so take that for what it is.

They beat up on Indiana, not a great accomplishment. Its not like they improved drastically and we didn't. I would say both teams improved somewhat, NU's defense is much improved from that time. Think a Rose Bowl is the expectation for this season from this point forward. Just win, baby!

It would be great to finally win a conference championship and go to a BCS bowl. Last conference title was what 1999? Last BCS bowl 2001. We are due for sure.

Nothing helps recruiting like winning.

I just wonder if it would be the spark we've been missing to get back to winning on a consistent basis?

 

[Mavric]

But what would have happened if they would have ran a play action pass then Taylor misses an open man, or Reed or whoever drops the pass? We're back to square one bit*hing that Beck didn't run it with Cross.

Exactly what I was going to say.

 

[1HuskrFan]

I guess we all have to have something to complain about. I've seen more positive on here today than I have in a long time. Quit your bit_hing, about stupid s_it. Try discussing something worth while like what a great job Beck is doing in his second yr, or how the Huskers have as much if not more talent in the offensive skill positions as I've seen since I became a Husker fan in 1958. Yeah, I'll include the 82 to 84 teams and the 94 thru the 97 teams. Before you jump all over this post, read closely that I'm referring to the O skill positions. Can you imagine the beatdowns the Huskers would lay on opponents with one of the lines from those two era's. Today's Huskers are difficult to contain because of the skill on the outside, backfield and TE. Sorry, but I can't think of one team that since 58 that had this much talent across the board at wr,rb,qb,te.