Biggest Quesitons

[Husker_x]

1. Turnovers? About every season we have this same discussion. Will our secondary start making plays again? Pelini's 2003 squad was famous for picking the ball off, but ever since then it's been a nagging annoyance. I remember a story under the C*ll*h*n regime about the corners promising higher production in this area, but since that time, it's not happened. Being a year seasoned in Pelini's defense with Marvin Sanders admitting that the first one passed by with some missed teaching opportunities, maybe we finally have good reason to think our secondary will be confident enough to go up at get it. I hope so, because if our receiving corps doesn't pan out like it did last year, it may be more than just a nice bonus to give Lee more chances.

2. Helu's health? Undoubtedly the best running back on the roster right now, but will he be there in October, November––gulp––December? August is a month for optimism, but Burkhead securing the number two spot is just as much a source for handwringing as it is for elation until we see him take the field. Let's not kid ourselves: if Helu's hamstrings don't hold up, we're asking Superman to carry us to a north division championship as a true freshman. Biiiig questions.

3. Linebacker development? Another frequent topic of conversation last year was the redshirt deposit. In six days Pelini is going to make his first withdrawals. The question isn't are Fisher and Compton going to play as well as the corps did last year, but are they going to be better? Will they be faster? In the secondary and up front we have a decent idea of what we're looking at, but there are going to be three young or fresh faces at arguably the most difficult position in Pelini's system. Will they thrive or struggle?

4. Lee's NU career? We know he's played sparingly at the D1 level. We also know he's got a seventy-yard arm and some wheels. If the QB position was all about physical talent, most of us would probably be thinking that we were in for an upgrade from last year, more wins, and hell, a division title at least. But it isn't all about physical talent––though that doesn't hurt––but a mental game arguably more difficult than anything else. If the answer to this question is a good one, Nebraska may be more dangerous than people realize. If it isn't, we could be seeing a true freshman engaging in a legitimate quarterback battle en route to a mediocre season. VA Tech is going to bring clarity to the situation. But until that day comes, our most pressing preseason question remains.

Those are mine. What are yours?

6d8h25m!!!!

 

[JGS30]

1. Turnovers? About every season we have this same discussion. Will our secondary start making plays again? Pelini's 2003 squad was famous for picking the ball off, but every since then it's been a nagging annoyance. I remember a story under the C*ll*h*n regime about the corners promising higher production in this area, but since that time, it's not happened. Being a year seasoned in Pelini's defense with Marvin Sanders admitting that the first one passed by with some missed teaching opportunities, maybe we finally have good reason to think our secondary will be confident enough to go up at get it. I hope so, because if our receiving corps doesn't pan out like it did last year, it may be more than just a nice bonus to give Lee more chances.

2. Helu's health? Undoubtedly the best running back on the roster right now, but will he be there in October, November––gulp––December? August is a month for optimism, but Burkhead securing the number two spot is just as much a source for handwringing as it is for elation until we see him take the field. Let's not kid ourselves: if Helu's hamstrings don't hold up, we're asking Superman to carry us to a north division championship as a true freshman. Biiiig questions.

3. Linebacker development? Another frequent topic of conversation last year was the redshirt deposit. In six days Pelini is going to make his first withdrawals. The question isn't are Fisher and Compton going to play as well as the corps did last year, but are they going to be better? Will they be faster? In the secondary and up front we have a decent idea of what we're looking at, but there are going to be three young or fresh faces at arguably the most difficult position in Pelini's system. Will they thrive or struggle?

4. Lee's NU career? We know he's played sparingly at the D1 level. We also know he's got a seventy-yard arm and some wheels. If the QB position was all about physical talent, most of us would probably be thinking that we were in for an upgrade from last year, more wins, and hell, a division title at least. But it isn't all about physical talent––though that doesn't hurt––but a mental game arguably more difficult than anything else. If the answer to this question is a good one, Nebraska may be more dangerous than people realize. If it isn't, we could be seeing a true freshman engaging in a legitimate quarterback battle en route to a mediocre season. VA Tech is going to bring clarity to the situation. But until that day comes, our most pressing preseason question remains.

Those are mine. What are yours?

6d8h25m!!!!

Good questions Husker X. I've been hearing that Helu has gained 10-15 pounds of muscle and should be able to handle the toll of the tailback position better than last. I think that's key to a successful season. I agree with the media that the loss of Castille will hurt, but I don't think it will cost the team a game....or games......as some people in the media are stating. At the end of the day Castille was only 1 player...and I've heard some good things about these young kids behind him and can only imagine this as turning into a positive for the program in the long run from an experience standpoint.

I think Nebraska's linebackers will be fine. Remember, good defensive line play will make ANY linebacking corp look good, and NU has arguably the best defensive line in the Big 12. I wouldn't be as concerned as people are.

Turnovers.....who knows....alot of times it's how the ball bounces. I see Nebraska's defense getting more than the offense lets go of though.

 

[Husker_x]

1. Turnovers? About every season we have this same discussion. Will our secondary start making plays again? Pelini's 2003 squad was famous for picking the ball off, but every since then it's been a nagging annoyance. I remember a story under the C*ll*h*n regime about the corners promising higher production in this area, but since that time, it's not happened. Being a year seasoned in Pelini's defense with Marvin Sanders admitting that the first one passed by with some missed teaching opportunities, maybe we finally have good reason to think our secondary will be confident enough to go up at get it. I hope so, because if our receiving corps doesn't pan out like it did last year, it may be more than just a nice bonus to give Lee more chances.

2. Helu's health? Undoubtedly the best running back on the roster right now, but will he be there in October, November––gulp––December? August is a month for optimism, but Burkhead securing the number two spot is just as much a source for handwringing as it is for elation until we see him take the field. Let's not kid ourselves: if Helu's hamstrings don't hold up, we're asking Superman to carry us to a north division championship as a true freshman. Biiiig questions.

3. Linebacker development? Another frequent topic of conversation last year was the redshirt deposit. In six days Pelini is going to make his first withdrawals. The question isn't are Fisher and Compton going to play as well as the corps did last year, but are they going to be better? Will they be faster? In the secondary and up front we have a decent idea of what we're looking at, but there are going to be three young or fresh faces at arguably the most difficult position in Pelini's system. Will they thrive or struggle?

4. Lee's NU career? We know he's played sparingly at the D1 level. We also know he's got a seventy-yard arm and some wheels. If the QB position was all about physical talent, most of us would probably be thinking that we were in for an upgrade from last year, more wins, and hell, a division title at least. But it isn't all about physical talent––though that doesn't hurt––but a mental game arguably more difficult than anything else. If the answer to this question is a good one, Nebraska may be more dangerous than people realize. If it isn't, we could be seeing a true freshman engaging in a legitimate quarterback battle en route to a mediocre season. VA Tech is going to bring clarity to the situation. But until that day comes, our most pressing preseason question remains.

Those are mine. What are yours?

6d8h25m!!!!

Good questions Husker X. I've been hearing that Helu has gained 10-15 pounds of muscle and should be able to handle the toll of the tailback position better than last. I think that's key to a successful season. I agree with the media that the loss of Castille will hurt, but I don't think it will cost the team a game....or games......as some people in the media are stating. At the end of the day Castille was only 1 player...and I've heard some good things about these young kids behind him and can only imagine this as turning into a positive for the program in the long run from an experience standpoint.

I think Nebraska's linebackers will be fine. Remember, good defensive line play will make ANY linebacking corp look good, and NU has arguably the best defensive line in the Big 12. I wouldn't be as concerned as people are.

Turnovers.....who knows....alot of times it's how the ball bounces. I see Nebraska's defense getting more than the offense lets go of though.

I think Helu can handle it, too, but he's had some nagging little things. One kept him out of Spring Game and he missed a few days of fall camp. It's nothing to be concerned about officially, but it makes you wonder how it will affect the season. Chances are the coaches were simply being very cautious, and the only thing Helu needs to worry about is taking a bent knee at the wrong angle. But it does remain a question, and a fairly important one for this season.

 

[HuskerJen]

I think you can add questions about both our SS and FS spots. The two safties are the key.

And honestly, RB is probably the one position on the team that I'm the least concerned about.

 

[corvhusker]

1. Turnovers? About every season we have this same discussion. Will our secondary start making plays again? Pelini's 2003 squad was famous for picking the ball off, but every since then it's been a nagging annoyance. I remember a story under the C*ll*h*n regime about the corners promising higher production in this area, but since that time, it's not happened. Being a year seasoned in Pelini's defense with Marvin Sanders admitting that the first one passed by with some missed teaching opportunities, maybe we finally have good reason to think our secondary will be confident enough to go up at get it. I hope so, because if our receiving corps doesn't pan out like it did last year, it may be more than just a nice bonus to give Lee more chances.

2. Helu's health? Undoubtedly the best running back on the roster right now, but will he be there in October, November––gulp––December? August is a month for optimism, but Burkhead securing the number two spot is just as much a source for handwringing as it is for elation until we see him take the field. Let's not kid ourselves: if Helu's hamstrings don't hold up, we're asking Superman to carry us to a north division championship as a true freshman. Biiiig questions.

3. Linebacker development? Another frequent topic of conversation last year was the redshirt deposit. In six days Pelini is going to make his first withdrawals. The question isn't are Fisher and Compton going to play as well as the corps did last year, but are they going to be better? Will they be faster? In the secondary and up front we have a decent idea of what we're looking at, but there are going to be three young or fresh faces at arguably the most difficult position in Pelini's system. Will they thrive or struggle?

4. Lee's NU career? We know he's played sparingly at the D1 level. We also know he's got a seventy-yard arm and some wheels. If the QB position was all about physical talent, most of us would probably be thinking that we were in for an upgrade from last year, more wins, and hell, a division title at least. But it isn't all about physical talent––though that doesn't hurt––but a mental game arguably more difficult than anything else. If the answer to this question is a good one, Nebraska may be more dangerous than people realize. If it isn't, we could be seeing a true freshman engaging in a legitimate quarterback battle en route to a mediocre season. VA Tech is going to bring clarity to the situation. But until that day comes, our most pressing preseason question remains.

Those are mine. What are yours?

6d8h25m!!!!

Good questions Husker X. I've been hearing that Helu has gained 10-15 pounds of muscle and should be able to handle the toll of the tailback position better than last. I think that's key to a successful season. I agree with the media that the loss of Castille will hurt, but I don't think it will cost the team a game....or games......as some people in the media are stating. At the end of the day Castille was only 1 player...and I've heard some good things about these young kids behind him and can only imagine this as turning into a positive for the program in the long run from an experience standpoint.

I think Nebraska's linebackers will be fine. Remember, good defensive line play will make ANY linebacking corp look good, and NU has arguably the best defensive line in the Big 12. I wouldn't be as concerned as people are.

Turnovers.....who knows....alot of times it's how the ball bounces. I see Nebraska's defense getting more than the offense lets go of though.

I agree that linebackers should be fine this year. We might not have any really experienced players (besides Dillard) but from all accounts the guys we do have are athletic and have the tools to be good. When Suh is pushing the offensive line back and Allen and Turner are coming off the corners the linebackers should be able to make some quick reactionary plays of getting after a scrambling QB or making a big hit on a short drop off pass. I agree that as long as the d-line plays as their capable of and comes together big this year, the defense will be good. It won't give our secondary as big of a chance to get burned deep if we're getting a lot of pressure and not giving the qb time.

I'm really looking forward to watching the defense this year. Maybe I've been drinking the kool-aid a little too hard the last couple weeks but from all the stories I've been reading I like the players we've got on that side of the ball.

My concern is the offense. A couple questions on the offensive line, no backups with much experience behind Helu and the chance of an injury there, Ganz gone and an unproven QB leading the team, Swift/Pederson gone and question marks at receiver. To me offense has me a lot more worried than how the defense will perform.

 

[Hunter94]

interesting, although the defensive secondary is still a point of concern, until proven otherwise, the running back situation is precarious at best.

although i think Burkehead will be a pleasant surprise (depending on how he transitions), Helu is the only battle tested veteran and he does seem to have some injury issues or fatigue/conditioning issues that could affect him through a long season.

i also happen to think Pelini knows this and i also predict he will be saved for the most important games, giving Burkehead and Mendoza or whoever, more touches than we think.

i also believe Lee gets active throwing the ball right away, it will be huge for him to establish himself before we get into the Big 12 campaign. with only Helu, we can no longer emphasize the running game alone, yes, losing Castille was a big deal, a very big deal!

 

[motorboatjonesNU]

I think we get the turnover margin going back in the right direction. Will someone have a Bullocks-like performance with 10 picks over the season...? Tough to say right now, but it seems evident the defense at least has its feet under them now, which is a huge jump from last year.

Helu's health should be somewhat of a concern, but equally or more so - will clear #2 and #3 WRs emerge and will we have a legitimate vertical threat? If those develop, we'll get the chemistry down and maybe Helu doesn't carry such a heavy load. If not, we'll need our depth at RB and utilize TEs more often.

From all reports and what I've heard Lee say, he seems to have a clear head and should exhibit composure. Hopefully he won't have to tuck it and run very often.

My concern is: Do our DBs take the next step and do we get consistent pressure from the DL, other than Suh.

 

[SaturnDrew]

And honestly, RB is probably the one position on the team that I'm the least concerned about.

I agree. RB is probably the most overrated position in college football. Yes, a Reggie Bush on the team can help, but it's the offensive lines that are the bigger difference makers.

 

[huskerjack23]

the key to the turnover question is QB pressure. i don't think anyone is questioning that anymore. if fisher is as fast as people are saying he is, we could put him down in the 3-pt on 3rd down sitches as a pass rusher, like super mario in '03.

the rb situation is very questionable now that i think about it. helu was out a few times last year, but if he gets his conditioning down, it shouldn't be a problem. "the prescription" will spell him nicely.

linebackers? i think we've got some smart cookies on the 2nd level. i remember colton koehler and matt may coming in games in big spots and making BIG contributions having little to no experience. we've got guys with little to no experience coming in with higher attributes athletically projected as starters. i see big things coming from that position.

lee will be great. ganz didn't have a shot before keller got hurt in that texas game. he showed he was capable. lee's obviously a better athlete. are the intangibles there? his juco stats lead us to believe that they are.

i think the bigger questions will come from the secondary and coaching. coaching? yeah coaching. we've seen them coach veterans. can they coach the young kids now?

 

[redout22]

Mine are

Production from WR?

When will the Blackshirts be given out?

How many true freshman will play?

And which TE's will step up this year?

 

[Alex 4.0]

I will agree with most of those already stated.

One of my big questions is: In what capacity will the coaches use Kyler Reed?

 

[AR Husker Fan]

Offensive line. If they can step up - truly dominate - then all will be well on offense and it will help the defense tremendously. Lee will have time to go through his progressions, there will be lanes for whomever is running the ball, and we can dominate time of possession, keeping our defense fresh and limiting the scoring opportunities for teams that tend to score in bunches.

Offensive line. Period.

 

[huskerjack23]

who ever said john lennon wasn't smart is an idiot.

 

[Hokieluv]

Offensive line. If they can step up - truly dominate - then all will be well on offense and it will help the defense tremendously. Lee will have time to go through his progressions, there will be lanes for whomever is running the ball, and we can dominate time of possession, keeping our defense fresh and limiting the scoring opportunities for teams that tend to score in bunches.

Offensive line. Period.

I think you all will be fine with your O line, I just hope those lanes don't open up at Lane on September 19

 

[wilber24]

1. Turnovers? About every season we have this same discussion. Will our secondary start making plays again? Pelini's 2003 squad was famous for picking the ball off, but ever since then it's been a nagging annoyance. I remember a story under the C*ll*h*n regime about the corners promising higher production in this area, but since that time, it's not happened. Being a year seasoned in Pelini's defense with Marvin Sanders admitting that the first one passed by with some missed teaching opportunities, maybe we finally have good reason to think our secondary will be confident enough to go up at get it. I hope so, because if our receiving corps doesn't pan out like it did last year, it may be more than just a nice bonus to give Lee more chances.

2. Helu's health? Undoubtedly the best running back on the roster right now, but will he be there in October, November––gulp––December? August is a month for optimism, but Burkhead securing the number two spot is just as much a source for handwringing as it is for elation until we see him take the field. Let's not kid ourselves: if Helu's hamstrings don't hold up, we're asking Superman to carry us to a north division championship as a true freshman. Biiiig questions.

3. Linebacker development? Another frequent topic of conversation last year was the redshirt deposit. In six days Pelini is going to make his first withdrawals. The question isn't are Fisher and Compton going to play as well as the corps did last year, but are they going to be better? Will they be faster? In the secondary and up front we have a decent idea of what we're looking at, but there are going to be three young or fresh faces at arguably the most difficult position in Pelini's system. Will they thrive or struggle?

4. Lee's NU career? We know he's played sparingly at the D1 level. We also know he's got a seventy-yard arm and some wheels. If the QB position was all about physical talent, most of us would probably be thinking that we were in for an upgrade from last year, more wins, and hell, a division title at least. But it isn't all about physical talent––though that doesn't hurt––but a mental game arguably more difficult than anything else. If the answer to this question is a good one, Nebraska may be more dangerous than people realize. If it isn't, we could be seeing a true freshman engaging in a legitimate quarterback battle en route to a mediocre season. VA Tech is going to bring clarity to the situation. But until that day comes, our most pressing preseason question remains.

Those are mine. What are yours?

6d8h25m!!!!

Just offense, defense had better shoulder the load, at least early.Not worried about running backs, just QB, very anxious to see Lee perform.

Should have a better idea on the offense by the end of saturday