Bowl game makes Riley believe in the run....

Not really a lot different than the Wisconsin game. They stuck with the run and started getting some big plays in the running game in the 4th quarter. If the game is close then you keep running your offense. This was one of Osbornes base concepts

 
I am hopeful the light finally came on for Riley and Langs but that is it. I will actually believe they have a renewed focus on running the ball when I see it next year. Sorry, we got burned way too many times with the offensive (literally) play calling this season. Let's just wait and see what kind of commitment they actually put into being successful at running the ball.

 
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Enhance89 said:
BRV920 said:
This line of thinking drives me nuts! In what game this year did we stick with the running game long enough to know if we could run against a team? The foundation of our offense needs to be a strong run game. At least 60/40 run pass ratio. I personally would prefer closer to 70/30. Not saying we don't need to throw the ball but we need to be 100% committed to running the ball. Not this only when we think we can crap.
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We tried to run against Northwestern and it just wasn't happening. I do think part of the failures this season could be attributed to a lack of commitment to the run game when it could've helped us, but we were also pretty woeful at times trying to block.
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And a big reason we were woeful at blocking at times likely had to do with commitment level. If your game planning and preparation is aimed at passing the ball......well your actual attempts at run blocking and rushing will suffer. This stuff doesn't just fall out of trees, it takes effort, practice, and commitment. I don't think those really existed for us this season until the bowl game. My gut tells me that, if after 30 years, this didn't occur to them sooner than this UCLA game........

 
JJHusker1 said:
Enhance89 said:
BRV920 said:
This line of thinking drives me nuts! In what game this year did we stick with the running game long enough to know if we could run against a team? The foundation of our offense needs to be a strong run game. At least 60/40 run pass ratio. I personally would prefer closer to 70/30. Not saying we don't need to throw the ball but we need to be 100% committed to running the ball. Not this only when we think we can crap.
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We tried to run against Northwestern and it just wasn't happening. I do think part of the failures this season could be attributed to a lack of commitment to the run game when it could've helped us, but we were also pretty woeful at times trying to block.
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And a big reason we were woeful at blocking at times likely had to do with commitment level. If your game planning and preparation is aimed at passing the ball......well your actual attempts at run blocking and rushing will suffer. This stuff doesn't just fall out of trees, it takes effort, practice, and commitment. I don't think those really existed for us this season until the bowl game. My gut tells me that, if after 30 years, this didn't occur to them sooner than this UCLA game........
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I agree that could've been a factor. My point is that I don't think the coaches made that commitment early on enough in the season for us to retroactively go back and say 'man if we had just done this more it would've been so much better!'

While that sounds great in hindsight, there were plenty of times this year where were NOT getting the push we had in the bowl game and I'm not sure more of a commitment earlier in the season would've changed that much. It could have. I just don't know.

 
huKSer said:
So when is Riley going to fire Langsdorf so this will happen?
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I was thinking the same thing. I just don't see Langsdorf letting this happen. He has shown all year & even in the bowl game that he wants to use the QB to score points & win games, not just manage the offense.

 
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Riley's offense is about balance. I could believe that he and his staff didn't feel they could do all they wanted in the running game with the kids they had...and that some of that had to do with their development, as opposed to who these kids are. That's the only way I can follow the thinking of some posting ITT, though. I've shared before that I doubt many will be won over by the offensive philosophy of this staff. I can respect the attempt by the powers that be to do something different here, though, and I can keep an open mind with respect to this matter. The optimist in me hopes that the experiment works out and we're able to get some offensive talent in here that wouldn't consider most other teams in the conference. I can admit there have been times over the years when I wondered if neutral fans were as annoyed with a Nebraska game being the only one to watch as I was with a Virginia Tech or South Carolina one...largely because those offenses were so boring to watch.

 
kchusker_chris said:
TGHusker said:
Can POB run or is he pretty much like a statue back there? Maybe wt a pure pocket passer, you can use the dink pass to the RB or a screen, etc - which technically are passes but mainly rely on running ability of the back. Remember we will also get DPE back next year. He should figure heavily in the run production from his WR spot - I see sweeps, reverses in the cards wt him back on the field. We forget how much he could have contributed to this team - perhaps a win or 2 for sure and less reliance on TA's arm.
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I don't think too many guys at 18-22 are going to be a version of 38 year old Peyton Manning camping out in the pocket. Even Blaine Gabbert was mobile. They're 18-20 years old, they aren't statues. They can all scramble, and it's a lot easier to do so when the D has to respect your arm.
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Exactly. Aaron Rodgers isn't going to beat Tommy Armstrong in a foot race, but he'll beat him in a throwing competition and is just fast enough to make defenses pay for respecting his arm too much.

 
Elf said:
Herbie87 said:
I honestly dont see this happening next year. Man it felt good watching that game against ucla. I just think that these guys are way to stuck in their way to change philosophy next season. Recruiting a pocket passer qb also tells me that a strong running game isn't in the cards next year. We will talk about the bowl game all offseason and then when week 5 rolls around we're all guna be like "what the f**k? Why are we throwing it 65% of th e time?"

I really hope im wrong. But I think langsdorf gets goose bumps watching a strong passing attack--the way most husker fans feel watching a power running game. I think in his mind, he wants to show Nebraska fans how it can work and be all great and everything. But the truth is we don't want to watch Usc/Oregon/ucla hiding in Nebraska uniforms. We want NEBRASKA to play in Nebraska uniforms. Blue collar football that we can be Damn proud of. You know, the way we all felt after the foster farms bowl
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Honestly, why can't we have a strong power run game AND a lethal air attack?
Having a pure pocket passer under center does not negate the possibility of a power run game.
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Unfortunately it does, airing it out 30-40 times per game gives your O line and RB s no chance to get in rythm and wear out the D line.

 
Sure we stuck with the run game more against UCLA but our O-line, or rather UCLA's D-line, was the reason we had great success that game. Our same line (and backs) weren't getting those types of push and runs most of the season. I think every Big Ten team has a better D-line than what we faced vs. UCLA.

So it's a combination of commitment to the run, better O-line play, better RB play, better QB decision-making, better playcalling, and more efficient passing game that we need to run more effectively.

I really believe many of the problems we saw this year were simply the coaches and players getting familiar and comfortable with each other and understanding how things work now. This is why we got better overall as the season went along.

Also, football is more like a symphony than a solo. Effective passing opens up the run game, and vice-versa. To my mind it doesn't really matter which sets-up which- they can both set up each other and many teams have proven this. But it takes great play-calling to keep opposing defenses off-balance and the offense rolling down the field.

 
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Herbie87 said:
I honestly dont see this happening next year. Man it felt good watching that game against ucla. I just think that these guys are way to stuck in their way to change philosophy next season. Recruiting a pocket passer qb also tells me that a strong running game isn't in the cards next year. We will talk about the bowl game all offseason and then when week 5 rolls around we're all guna be like "what the f**k? Why are we throwing it 65% of th e time?"

I really hope im wrong. But I think langsdorf gets goose bumps watching a strong passing attack--the way most husker fans feel watching a power running game. I think in his mind, he wants to show Nebraska fans how it can work and be all great and everything. But the truth is we don't want to watch Usc/Oregon/ucla hiding in Nebraska uniforms. We want NEBRASKA to play in Nebraska uniforms. Blue collar football that we can be Damn proud of. You know, the way we all felt after the foster farms bowl
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I for one don't care how we get our yards/scores. UCLA was the perfect opponent to execute a run first mentality. Due to injury and other reasons, they were horrible at defending the run. If our recruits are better suited to the pass, then we should focus on that. If TA is our QB next year, we have to be a run first offense or we will once again take him out of his comfort zone and set him up for disaster. Having said all of this, I think in the long run we can get more (and better) recruits that fit a power run system than a west coast variant.

 
You should care how we score our points Joe. We need to open up the passing game by running the ball no matter who we are playing. Riley said as much. The numbers don't lie. Teams that can run the ball don't need a elite QB to win games. Alabama is living proof of that this year.

 
BRV920 said:
You should care how we score our points Joe. We need to open up the passing game by running the ball no matter who we are playing. Riley said as much. The numbers don't lie. Teams that can run the ball don't need a elite QB to win games. Alabama is living proof of that this year.
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Several if not all of the most recent national championship teams in college football had really good run games and (I believe) had more rushing yards on the season than pass yards. 2004 USC is an exception, I believe.

Championships really are won on the lines of scrimmage and by running the football, in my opinion. That's where the commitment should be because it's a pretty tried and true method. If you can run the football, play physical and have a good defense, you'll always be in a position to be a really good team.

 
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