Bill Callahan positive achievements thread.

[Whistlebritches]

If you think Coz should have been gone, you'd better be screaming for JP to hit the road.

If it's true that JP largely runs the defense and calls the plays then I am absolutely opposed to him being the DC. He is not qualified for the position.

However, if it's true as many people say, that Bo is the main shot caller for the D, then it's more of an annoyance for me than discomfort that he holds the DC position.

Whichever of these it was going into last season, it was the other coming out of it. There was too big of a shift mid-season for it not to be a change in leadership/direction/play caller. Simple things like lining up 3 yards off the ball - which was pretty prevalent the first 5 games (and all last season and the season before), disappeared later in the year. Honestly, part of me thinks Bo might have thrown in the towel and given it up to JP. To much of the first 5 games looked like the previous 2 season.

As I remember it, there was a clear change of philosophy in the middle of the second quarter of the Northwestern game after they strolled down the field to take a 21-7 lead. It was a drastic change and stopped what looked like was going to be a blowout.

 

[BigRedBuster]

There is more to Cally being kicked out than having a bad defense or even losing games. By 2007, he had totally lost all confidence from the team. You could see it most in the Okie State game that year on defense. I had absolutely never seen a Nebraska team so dejected like that on the field. That has never happened under the Bo. The team might lose big or some might not be as focused as they should be but they still love the guy and at least try to play hard for him.

 

[NUpolo8]

Callahan had a few good things going on offense, eventually, but it really wasn't that great or any better than what Pelini's teams have mustered, with or without Shawn Watson. Let's take a look and compare:

2003 (for reference): 24.77 points per game (7 games in which we scored 24 or less)

The Callahan era:

2004: 25.0 points per game (8 games in which we scored 24 or less)

2005: 24.6 ppg (5)

2006: 30.57 ppg (5)

2007: 33.42 ppg (4)

The Pelini era:

2008: 35.38 points per game (1 game in which we scored 24 or less)

2009: 25.14 ppg (7)

2010: 30.86 ppg (6)

2011: 29.15 ppg (6)

2012: 34.78 (2)

2013: 31.92 (6)

So... Pelini has already had multiple years with better offensive production than even Callahan's best offensive year (which also happened to be the worst season of our lives). And the 2009 offense, which was undoubtedly horrific, was better than two of Callahan's years. It took Callahan three years to even get better than the Solich offense that he replaced. Callahan had 5.5 games per season scoring 24 or less, while Pelini has had 4.66 such games per year.

I'm not too high on Pelini's coaching ability and am not too optimistic to get over the hump this year, but his offense, despite the number of mid-season changes or whatever, has not been any worse than Callahan's. Callahan's offensive prowess is a total myth.

Tom Osborne and Bo don't agree, that's why Watson was retained.

 

[kchusker_chris]

There is more to Cally being kicked out than having a bad defense or even losing games. By 2007, he had totally lost all confidence from the team. You could see it most in the Okie State game that year on defense. I had absolutely never seen a Nebraska team so dejected like that on the field. That has never happened under the Bo. The team might lose big or some might not be as focused as they should be but they still love the guy and at least try to play hard for him.

Per some (smith) - that is exactly what happened during Wisconsin.

 

[NUinID]

If you think Coz should have been gone, you'd better be screaming for JP to hit the road.

If it's true that JP largely runs the defense and calls the plays then I am absolutely opposed to him being the DC. He is not qualified for the position.

However, if it's true as many people say, that Bo is the main shot caller for the D, then it's more of an annoyance for me than discomfort that he holds the DC position.

Whichever of these it was going into last season, it was the other coming out of it. There was too big of a shift mid-season for it not to be a change in leadership/direction/play caller. Simple things like lining up 3 yards off the ball - which was pretty prevalent the first 5 games (and all last season and the season before), disappeared later in the year. Honestly, part of me thinks Bo might have thrown in the towel and given it up to JP. To much of the first 5 games looked like the previous 2 season.

That is so ridiculous, nobody on the defensive line was lining up 3 yards off the ball.

dictionary.com "facetious"

it was 1-2 with a pause to play paddy-cake. Go watch the UCLA highlights. We're never once on the line of scrimmage. And it gets worse as the game goes on. 3rd and 1 and our entire line had their hand down on the yellow transposed line. this is pretty commonly discussed on this board, there's been dozen of examples of it posted.

I know its an exaggeration, but the instances of lining up deep off the ball was not real prevalent last year. The defense improved dramatically as the year went on, and that was due mostly to having a bunch of talented athletes learning to play and get comfortable in the defense. The game slowed down and they got better. It happens, it wasn't some magical thing BP did by taking over for JP, its called maturation.

 

[Saunders]

Callahan had a few good things going on offense, eventually, but it really wasn't that great or any better than what Pelini's teams have mustered, with or without Shawn Watson. Let's take a look and compare:

2003 (for reference): 24.77 points per game (7 games in which we scored 24 or less)

The Callahan era:

2004: 25.0 points per game (8 games in which we scored 24 or less)

2005: 24.6 ppg (5)

2006: 30.57 ppg (5)

2007: 33.42 ppg (4)

The Pelini era:

2008: 35.38 points per game (1 game in which we scored 24 or less)

2009: 25.14 ppg (7)

2010: 30.86 ppg (6)

2011: 29.15 ppg (6)

2012: 34.78 (2)

2013: 31.92 (6)

So... Pelini has already had multiple years with better offensive production than even Callahan's best offensive year (which also happened to be the worst season of our lives). And the 2009 offense, which was undoubtedly horrific, was better than two of Callahan's years. It took Callahan three years to even get better than the Solich offense that he replaced. Callahan had 5.5 games per season scoring 24 or less, while Pelini has had 4.66 such games per year.

I'm not too high on Pelini's coaching ability and am not too optimistic to get over the hump this year, but his offense, despite the number of mid-season changes or whatever, has not been any worse than Callahan's. Callahan's offensive prowess is a total myth.

Tom Osborne and Bo don't agree, that's why Watson was retained.

Watson didn't call the plays in 2007. Bill did. Shawn also changed a bunch of verbage and scrapped more than half the playbook. Also, the numbers show that the offensive direction of Bo has been better than under Bill, all while playing better defenses overall.

Bill's team averaged 28.4 PPG

Bo's average 31.21. If you take out the crappy Big 12 defenses they faced, our PPG goes up to 31.95.

So, yeah.

 

[NUpolo8]

I seem to remember you and other people saying there was something that we needed last year that would have prevented some losses......was it an offense? Couldn't be.

The point was Shawn Watson was retained to keep continuity. Even Osborne gave a nod to the offense not being a problem during the firing/hiring process.

And Bo was brought in to fix the defense. And here we are.

 

[Saunders]

I seem to remember you and other people saying there was something that we needed last year that would have prevented some losses......was it an offense? Couldn't be.

The point was Shawn Watson was retained to keep continuity. Even Osborne gave a nod to the offense not being a problem during the firing/hiring process.

And Bo was brought in to fix the defense. And here we are.

Shawn didn't run the offense. Bill did. And the numbers don't back you up.

 

[jsneb83]

I seem to remember you and other people saying there was something that we needed last year that would have prevented some losses......was it an offense? Couldn't be.

You're right, it wasn't that we needed an offense. All we needed last year was turnover prevention.

 

[Spooky Tooth]

My positive achievement for today began shortly after eating a Fiber One bar. Reminds me of this thread.

 

[TheSker]

And Bo was brought in to fix the defense. And here we are.

Callahan was known as an offensive mind......and Pelini known as a defensive mind......but Pelini wasn't just brought in to fix the defense. It shouldn't need reminded that Callahan had two losing seasons in his four year tenure, which also equated to missed bowl games in those years. #9wins

 

[NUance]

In 2007 the mighty Callahan offense scored 51 on CU in Boulder.

Unfortunately, the Callahan defense gave up 65.

 

[Saint Boseph]

There is more to Cally being kicked out than having a bad defense or even losing games. By 2007, he had totally lost all confidence from the team. You could see it most in the Okie State game that year on defense. I had absolutely never seen a Nebraska team so dejected like that on the field. That has never happened under the Bo. The team might lose big or some might not be as focused as they should be but they still love the guy and at least try to play hard for him.

You're absolutely correct. I'm not stumping for BC, I'm 100% a Bo supporter. I'm just saying I'm not casting as much share of the blame on BC for that rotten time period as most do.

And I remember that dejected vibe, it broke my heart, but remember we're not free from guilt in playing a part in that. After Brook Berringer's death and Turner Gill's press conference announcing his departure in 04, one of the saddest dialogues from a Husker I've ever heard was the always light-hearted, fun Corey McKewon's press conference after that game. Dude sounded the most dejected when he was pleading with the fans not to boo them. There is zero excuse for booing players here no matter how terrible they're playing. He explicitly mentioned how that affected the team. Things were clearly falling apart, but when it seemed to them like a lot of husker nation had given up or turned on them, that sunk it for them.

 

[Saint Boseph]

I seem to remember you and other people saying there was something that we needed last year that would have prevented some losses......was it an offense? Couldn't be.

The point was Shawn Watson was retained to keep continuity. Even Osborne gave a nod to the offense not being a problem during the firing/hiring process.

And Bo was brought in to fix the defense. And here we are.

I have a pretty strong opinion that Shawn Watson didn't deserve to be fired. I think Tim Beck is better, but Watson didn't deserve so much of the blame for something greatly influenced by circumstances out of his control.

 

[The Dude]

Shawn had ample opportunity to redeem himself from that woeful 2009 season, and he didn't, really. Sure, he didn't catch all the breaks, but that's life. The good ones rise above it.