BRING BACK POWER FOOTBALL!

[SnowBigRed]

There's nothing wrong with the scheme.

Our problem is focus and execution. Nothing more, nothing less.

We very much have a scheme problem.

I wouldn't say we have a scheme problem on offense. I think the "scheme" for our offense fits our players pretty well. Sometimes Beck's playcalling is a little suspect, but overall, I think the scheme is spot on for the playmakers that we have. We don't have road graders up front to run Power I football, and they aren't really the best at pass protection either, so we can't be a drop back passing team. I think the offense we run takes advantage of the skill set (or lack thereof) of the Oline.

With that said, Nebraska struggles mightily landing Oline recruits. 3/5 of the starting Oline are walk ons, and at times, 4 out of the 5 linemen are from Nebraska and the other is from ND, none of which are recruiting hot beds. I, more than anybody, take great pride in the fact that a vast majority of the guys that play on the Oline are from Nebraska and the Midwest, but that also tells me that we are whiffing on big time recruits. Couple that with an Oline coach that doesn't have much of a clue, and the inconsistency is going to continue.

My wish is for NU to be able to take tough, smart, 250lb kids from NE, IA, SD, WY, etc., that want to play for Nebraska because its Nebraska, and not because it's got "sweet facilities", redshirt them, develop them in the weight room, and start them as juniors. Maybe that's not possible anymore (likely), but a guy can dream can't he?

 

[Karawithasmile]

I love power football. But, c'mon, our wide receivers are too talented not to be utliized. I've been impressed watching the improvement the wide outs have made since we really struggled with finding guys that could catch the ball a few years back. It's a great sight to see some of the difficult catches Bell, Enunwa, and others have made.

We need to run an offense that plays to the strengths we have. A good balance is needed because it makes us multi-dimensional and more difficult to defend. Not to mention, I don't know that I've ever seen Martinez run the option well. He pitches way too late most of the time (not to mention the fact that he fumbles so much the option seems like a more risky play).

That said, Martinez should have more designed keeps and rollouts where he has the option to run or pass. It seems to me that we under-utilize his running skills (probably for his protection, but still he's not out there for solely his passing skills).

 

[Karawithasmile]

I'd rather see us bring back some of our defenses from the 90s. Instead of our 90s option offense.

:yeah

 

[BartonHusker]

Kara you bring up a good point. Why wouldn't we roll out Taylor more times than not when we throw? It would play into his strength as a runner in space giving him a run/pass option.

Also in my opinion when Taylor does drop back it should be mostly screens, play action and TE seams passes after they bite on the play fake... this is all set up by the run though.

In reality what I just wrote totally goes against Beck's offensive philosophy, which goes against Taylor's strengths more times than not. Beck's offense is designed for Todd Reesing, not Taylor Martinez IMO.

 

[zoogs]

^ Because, and I've said this many times without a lot of people agreeing with (but I think the coaches who evaluate Taylor would acknowledge this; who knows??) ...

- Taylor is not a crisp roll-out thrower. He has enough trouble with his footworks and everything when he sets up in the comfort of the pocket. Asking him to throw while moving is something we can do once in a while...but not as a featured, core set of the attack.

- Decision-making. Taylor isn't a "go through a ton of reads" QB and doesn't demonstrate great presence of mind under duress. If we can get a releasing TE or RB open in the flat, I think this could be a solid option - but any sort of downfield attack where Taylor has to make decisions on the run, not very bueno, IMO.

- Rolling out, stopping, making a read, setting up, and throwing just isn't a reliable option. There probably isn't enough time for this. Taylor is fast, but we're not talking about getting to the second level with straightline burst here, we're talking about moving laterally while keeping your eyes downfield.

I agree that we need to work our passing game to complement the run. Mostly playactions. Maybe throws to the flats if we can get YAC out of those...although I think if we target Jamal there, we'll get YAC no matter the ball placement. Maybe have Kyler work the flats as well, or go deep on the playaction in the seams.

Regarding the OP, I don't know how you could say we're a spread passing team right now.

 

[Enhance]

There's nothing wrong with the scheme.

Our problem is focus and execution. Nothing more, nothing less.

We very much have a scheme problem.

You might as well have said nothing. Explain why you think so.

I'll just go ahead and tell you why you're wrong. We don't have a scheme problem, we have an execution/talent problem. I'll preface this by saying I believe Taylor Martinez is a better quarterback than Tommie Frazier. He runs a more complicated scheme, is quicker and is statistically a better passer. But when you compare (on the most basic levels) the difference between the teams Martinez plays on and the teams Frazier played on, what do you see? You see very bad defense accompanied by inconsistent play on the line of scrimmage.

Our offense definitely put our defense in bad situations last week, but the offense did not spot Ohio State 63 points - most of that is on the defense to make plays and get the offense off the field.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

We're one of the top rushing teams in the nation.

We're one of the top offenses in the nation.

We have more fumbles than interceptions (should we stop this fixation with running the ball?)

Our quarterback is completing 67% of his passes to some incredibly exciting receivers.

We're fast and fun to watch.

We're as loaded at running back as we've been in years.

Our defense is simply awful, and 38 points apparently buys us nothing.

What games are you guys watching?

In related news, announcing your plan to be a smashmouth running team doesn't make it so. It just mean a relieved defensive coordinator will stack the box and turn those 6 yard averages into 3 yard averages.

 

[The Duke]

Duke, you've thrown down some good points over the months, and I consider you a good poster. Here I think you're potentially fixated on something for the wrong reason.

The NU offense had a fairly significant aerial bent in the early Osborne years, for example. And before that, pre-Devaney, we were really good at losing by a lot of points all the time.

I think Nebraska football personified is not "Power Football," it's continuous adaptability. Osborne adjusted over time, became convinced that nothing is more demoralizing to a defense than running for 4-6 ypc while that defense can't stop it stop it even while they know what's coming. Next step was totally re hauling the D from slow and strong to light and fleet. Think about that. That's a lot of years of recruiting hit and misses, teaching them the defensive philosophies and strategies and...most of all, assignments.

Then expanding our recruiting bases, another critical adaptation. California and Florida and Texas and Jersey kids...we needed to reach far, we did, and we landed kids we didn't use to even go after. Let us not forget Boyd Epley. We needed to gain an edge, and we adapted into the elite weight training program in the nation.

What you're talking about (in this guy's view, for whatever that's worth) is a reversion back to what previously worked in a specific time and place that has passed us by. The landscape has changed, and so have we. Our hurry up is not a novelty...slowly but surely, we're being lumped in with the other top up tempo teams teams that have been at it for five years or more and have been raining havoc, and the implication is that we're become pretty damn explosive.

I loved watching our 5th year senior backup guard come hulking into the game back in the good old days, a starter for maybe ANY other D1 school, and watch opponents get "hurt" every 5 snaps. I'd bet 2 or 3 out of those five just flat didn't want to get hit anymore. But the days of stockpiling those kids are over. Andrus P comes here in '91, he ain't really playing until '94 at the earliest. If you watched USC lose to Stanford, you know that way of doing things has thoroughly gone out of vogue.

So.....we have to adapt. And isn't power football forcing your will on an increasingly wearying defense anyway? Wearing them down? 'Cause I'd say we did that last week....thinking about Borland of all people throwing an arm tackle or King Rex Walter-Peytonning that DB 15 yards + backwards down the field. I'd say we still feature a lot of power in our game, it's just doesn't resemble what we remember from the days when we were better than anyone on the field, and maybe anyone who had ever taken the field.

At UCLA, Ammer avg 7.4 ypc at one point, and Braylon had 7 per. That's still power rushing. It's just coming in a different form. I think we need to continue to embrace adaptation, which is really a way of saying we need to stay ahead of the curve. imho, we're doing just that, and with a 2nd year OC, doing pretty damn well at it.

Hey Nebula sorry for my late reply. I just now caught your reply along with the others who rightfully disagreed to my original post in this thread.

I'll be honest....and full disclosure here....when I posted this thread last month I did something I hardly ever do, I let my emotions over Nebraska's loss to UCLA get the best of me. Normally after a loss I will usually give it the 24 hour rule before I post something about our games.

I would just like to say that all the points you addressed in your post were on the mark. I will admit that my first love is under center power football like what Osborne used to do, and also what Jim Harbaugh is currently doing with the San Francisco 49ers. However, I will concede to you and others on here that you can be a power running team out of the shotgun. And you are absolutely correct in that our greatest strength under Osborne over the years were his genius ability to adapt. Not only could he adapt during a given game to what the defense was doing, he also was able to skillfully adapt and tweak his offense each new season to how the game was changing.

So let me again say...you and others on this thread were right, and I should have cooled down a little after the UCLA loss before posting without thinking. Our current problems are not on offense as we clearly saw against UCLA and Ohio State. Our number one concern that this team has to address immediately is the defense.

Thank you again for your great reply. +1 to you!

 

[TonyStalloni]

I've often wondered where TO's offense would be today had he continued coaching. Maybe receivers like we have now, an O line that could do a better job of pass protection, probably a QB that resembles future recruit Johnny Stanton....able to run when needed and see the field well enough to keep drives going and the other teams D on the field. Certainly our D would be more efficient in big games but I'm not sure who would be coaching the D?

 

[nhuskers5]

There's nothing wrong with the scheme.
Our problem is focus and execution. Nothing more, nothing less.

No there was a problwm with play calling and I think that's what ultimately did us in. The D adjusted enough to keep us in it but the offense sputtered, and then when they found their groove with the inside run we inexplicably abandon it.

There are gonna be some nights when the playcalling isn't as sharp. We've got to accept this, it happens to every team, and hope that the scheme is engrained enough that we can execute poorly called plays so that they are succesful

 

[Hercules]

^ Because, and I've said this many times without a lot of people agreeing with (but I think the coaches who evaluate Taylor would acknowledge this; who knows??) ...

- Taylor is not a crisp roll-out thrower. He has enough trouble with his footworks and everything when he sets up in the comfort of the pocket. Asking him to throw while moving is something we can do once in a while...but not as a featured, core set of the attack.

- Decision-making. Taylor isn't a "go through a ton of reads" QB and doesn't demonstrate great presence of mind under duress. If we can get a releasing TE or RB open in the flat, I think this could be a solid option - but any sort of downfield attack where Taylor has to make decisions on the run, not very bueno, IMO.

- Rolling out, stopping, making a read, setting up, and throwing just isn't a reliable option. There probably isn't enough time for this. Taylor is fast, but we're not talking about getting to the second level with straightline burst here, we're talking about moving laterally while keeping your eyes downfield.

I agree that we need to work our passing game to complement the run. Mostly playactions. Maybe throws to the flats if we can get YAC out of those...although I think if we target Jamal there, we'll get YAC no matter the ball placement. Maybe have Kyler work the flats as well, or go deep on the playaction in the seams.

Regarding the OP, I don't know how you could say we're a spread passing team right now.

We've always disagreed on Taylor, and I have more faith in his abilities than you do. But even after his worst game of the year, he still leads the Big Ten in pass efficiency, and ranks 13th nationally, ahead of Matt Barkley among others... The only other Big Ten QB in the top 50 is Braxton Miller, at 38th.

We have to limit the turnovers, but I don't think we should overreact to one game where we turn the ball over and still put up 38 points against Ohio State. That's not cause for reigning in the passing game or limiting it to playaction passes or only plays that complement our running game. Our passing game is as strong as it was in 2008 with Ganz/Peterson/Swift, if not stronger and more dangerous, and we should use it.

 

[zoogs]

I'm going to sharply disagree on the last statement. If we tried to pass as much as we did in 2008, it would be unmitigated disaster. I dunno, maybe I'm overselling 2008, but that was an exceptional blend of chemistry and a case where we could go to the pass again and again and again.

I feel we can pass as a change-up, but we can't spread the field and stress or pick apart a defense with our passing game straight up.

This year, as last year, we run an overwhelming percentage of the time. There aren't that many throws to begin with. So I don't think it's too much of a change to focus on the playaction deep and run-game complements (other varying forms of playaction, I guess), both of which we rely on to begin with. I don't see the standard dropbacks with those outs/shallow crosses/curls as really having a 'fit' within our offense. We'll see, though.

The complement-the-run game comment by the way stemmed from that OSU offense breakdown. They were talking about how Urban had a matching pass play to a lot of his run plays, so it'd be the same pre-snap and as the play starts, but then you got a releasing TE getting open. I feel we could really benefit from milking that for all it is worth.

 

[FriendlyLurker2007]

i dont mind the scheme at all, just need to use the weapons correctly, run great backs, short quick passes to a huge group of weapons, wr/te/rb's...let them make the plays let martinez manage, and kill em with a qb keeper every now and then...when we do that we can put up 30+ on just about any team...fix the defense we have a really good team

 

[ZRod]

Zoogies I'll have to disagree with why we don't use Taylor more on roll outs. I know you don't have much faith in his on the move passing game, but he's typically pretty accurate for a guy skipping rocks. But putting that aside, I think we saw the real reason that we don't use more bootlegs during the OSU game when Taylor was scrambling for his life on two plays in the same series. Poor play by our tackles gives Taylor hardly anytime to find an open man and set his feet, not many QBs are going to be accurate when they are on the run from a defender immediately after the play fake

 

[VectorVictor]

Agreed. Enough with the "Learning process". Throw it out and go back to what worked in 90's. Power Option Football. No one did it better. With TO's addition of speed on defense in the 90's it was perfect. Good teams could stay close until they were worn out by middle 3rd qtr, then the NU offense rolled.There must be 40 programs who have way more experience and run "the spread" better than NU. GIVE IT UP. This is and has been so sad and was very preventable.

Mistake #1: Not replacing Osborne w/ Turner Gill

Mistake #2: Solich was a good second choice, but should never have been fired by that knucklehead AD because he lost 3 games?? (think Callahan)

Mistake #3 (and the tanking of the program for 12 and still counting years): Knucklehead AD brillient decision to bring in Callahan and WCO.

Mistake #4: Board not realizing soon enough that they needed to fire AD

Mistake # 5: (sorry TO): Hiring Pelini - what the heck was his tie in with past NU success. Blackshirts were McBride's legacy - Pellini was there what, one year?? What the heck was the Congressman thinking?? His sideline rant should have been the excuse for TO to save face and dump this gum smacking guy.

Mistake #6: Considering recent mild progress signs of success.

Throw it all out, hire Gill and watch the results in about 2-3 years