Bonehead Play secures the win for the Huskers

grandpasknee

grandpasknee

All-Conference
Last year, we had so many opportunities to win games, only to have a bone headed play, or missed play, snatch away the win.

Today, the fates decided to give us a little love. That play where the man in motion got hit by the snap and we lost the ball. If that had stood, it would have been game over, win for the Ducks. But as "luck" would have it, we were called for a penalty (that Oregon couldn't decline) and it gave us another chance. Just one more chance. And that's all we needed.

Of course, that doesn't downplay all the other very good football the Huskers played today. It was an extremely fun day to be a fan.

But this time....one key break going our way was a big gift. And I'm glad we got it.

 
Football is a game of multiple moments. If this would have happened here or that would have happened there. Has always been the case. People pick pivotal moments all the time and dwell on the outcomes.

The thing is, it ends up becoming a chase match. We pick all the boneheads we make and say the game would have been different, and then they pick all the bonehead plays they make.

 
Couldn't agree more. I don't think I've ever been so happy to get a penalty ever. That really saved our behind.

 
Second time I recall the entire stadium cheering a penalty called against NU.

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We needed some luck. I wish I could buy those refs a beer. Oregon was holding on the edges which made it too easy to beat us around the corner.

 
After that play happened, I stood up in the middle of my section and screamed, "YES!!!!!!" with a huge fist pump, screaming out celebrations towards our false start. At least a few people got a kick out of it.

 
The worst part is we had someone on the sidelines who thought that play call was hands down better than giving the ball to Ozigbo...

...and he gets paid to think that way.

 
There were a hundred crazy variables in that game.

The backwards pass fumble near the end of the first half seemed like the biggest, essentially a two touchdown swing: 20 - 7 instead of 14-14.

But if we had tied it there, Oregon plays the half differently. DPE doesn't get the same punt return. Maybe it's still 20 - 14, but Oregon has the mojo going into the locker room. Who knows?

At the end of the day, the Nebraska offense had to engineer a touchdown drive, and the Nebraska defense had to keep Oregon out of field goal range with the game on the line.

Throw the other stuff out. I'll take those two things.

 
Sometimes just handing the ball to Ozigbo doesn't work.

Because defensive coordinators get paid to figure that out.
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No need for me to argue the point.

I'll let the actual on the field results speak for themselves, you explain why this play was better than it actually was.

 
Guy Chamberlin said:
There were a hundred crazy variables in that game.

The backwards pass fumble near the end of the first half seemed like the biggest, essentially a two touchdown swing: 20 - 7 instead of 14-14.

But if we had tied it there, Oregon plays the half differently. DPE doesn't get the same punt return. Maybe it's still 20 - 14, but Oregon has the mojo going into the locker room. Who knows?

At the end of the day, the Nebraska offense had to engineer a touchdown drive, and the Nebraska defense had to keep Oregon out of field goal range with the game on the line.

Throw the other stuff out. I'll take those two things.
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Before that turnover, my wife said we needed to score to go into halftime tied. I responded that we needed to score to only be down a touchdown at half.

So the half played out differently but I think the result was the same.

 
Bowfin said:
The worst part is we had someone on the sidelines who thought that play call was hands down better than giving the ball to Ozigbo...

...and he gets paid to think that way.
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Langsdorf was brilliant Saturday. I dont care how much he makes. No one can be expected to make 80 perfect calls in a 3 1/2 hour stretch. He was brilliant. Ive watched this baby 4 times now. I can count about 8 plays where I think "what are we thinking here?". I put the fumbled swing pass/lateral to Wilbon on Langs. I dont get the call. Putting a qb in that situation who we all know struggles with that throw, then the players execute it where it's a backwards pass. It is a little mind boggling. But we gotta put ourselves in their shoes. These guys are coaching for 4 quarters. Theyre not kneejerking based on a play here or there. Theyve studied tendancies and they have thier own ideas. Theyre trying to set things up and call plays based on what theyre seeing going on on previous plays.

So yeah, I shook my head on a few decisions, but if you cant look at the whole game as a lump sum and say he was good, and would rather dwell on a play or two, instead of saying "yeah, we won the game" and want to discredit that, well, have at it my man.

What ive seen so far this year, I'll take langsdorf with this qb and this group of players who dont fit his comfort level over anything Beck ever did period.

It's a shame Tommy wont get another year or two under Langs tutiledge. There's some work goin on in that qb room.

 
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Bowfin said:
Sometimes just handing the ball to Ozigbo doesn't work.

Because defensive coordinators get paid to figure that out.
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No need for me to argue the point.

I'll let the actual on the field results speak for themselves, you explain why this play was better than it actually was.
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The argument for running the ball typically revolves around "stick with what's working!"

But it typically requires ignoring the many successful drives where a balanced attack of running and passing was exactly what worked, and a history of third-down playcalling that is among the best in the Big 10.

It also requires ignoring the plays where the defense sniffs out and stops the running plays. Because that happens right along with the incomplete passes. Some choose to view those through different lenses.

This team needs to run the ball. And Langsdorf picked a great time to hit Oregon with some power running. It would not have worked if the Oregon D had not been loosened up by a variety of calls that had spread the field. When the defense adjusted, it was no longer a matter of just handing it Ozigbo. Especially on plays where he would be keyed on.

The belief that Ozigbo would get two yards because he was averaging 4.5 yards per rushing attempt is no different from believing Tommy would pass for two yards because he was averaging 6.0 yards per attempt. Both assumptions are faulty.

I see nothing but good in Ozigbo emerging as a dependable grinder, and Langsdorf using select series to feature him. If all it takes to lose faith in an offensive coordinator is a pass play on third and short --- something every successful coach will call periodically-- then I'm not sure there's an offensive coordinator you'll ever trust.

 
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