Cincinnati: What Did We Learn?

Red Five said:
Echo what has been said by many.

- Still lack that killer instinct. Up 13-3 at half, get the ball to start the 3Q. Getting a TD drive there would have effectively ended the game. Instead we give them a short field off a failed 4th down and they score to make it a ball game. Or just get one more 1st down at the end of the game and ice it, but we go backwards.
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Totally agree that getting a touchdown here essentially ends the game.

I'm not trying to put words in your mouth but I don't think our team lacked the right psychology or motivation or whatever on that first drive in the 3rd. Raiola hits a 15 yard pass to Key, and then hits a 7 yard pass to Clark to get us into their territory.

We wind up in 3rd & 3 from there. We hand off to Johnson and he only gets one yard. We're on their 43; hindsight is 20/20 and maybe we should have punted - but it certainly wasn't a lack of killer instinct there, because Rhule goes for it.

We don't execute the short pass to Emmett on that 4th & 2 and we turn it over. Terrible execution on the play, but the mentality was there.

Again though I totally agree that the game is basically won on that drive if we score, no arguments there.
 
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Danny Bateman said:
I’m pretty sure it was the goal line series where Pritchett false started and shot us in the foot, but I remember them running two consecutive off tackle power runs from the I formation right after it gashed them for the first time at one point.

I actually thought the play calling was quite good. A lot of the running game being stuck in neutral was the OL not *quite* being quick enough to their spot to nail their blocks or EJ making a bad cut, but the scheme was good and the big play opportunities are there. DB thought so during the game as well.

That said they were uber conservative and the final drive playcalling was atrocious. Bad clock management to boot trying to play not to lose at the end, too.

Overall feel good about the offense and scheme but that endgame stuff needs tightened up ASAP.
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We were 1st at goal at the six after the false start. We couldn't get a TD. And our OLine is supposedly the the strong point in the team coupled by a strong RB#1.

The other issue is the next two games we can make the exact same mistakes and win by 35. Michigan is going to be an absolute wakeup call. If we had an average SOS this year, and not cupcake island, we'd be 5-7.
 
Toe said:
This was a team that went 5-7 last year. We played them like a team that may or may not make a bowl game this year.
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It was also a team that beat a playoff team, and had 4 losses by a touchdown or less (2 games were a 1 PT loss and a 3 PT loss).

This was a game we as fans overlooked, but we did something we haven't the last few years and won out. I think it was a win that'll teach players they can pull this out. Also, last year special teams would've lost us that game. This is the best receiving core I've ever seen and a lot of the OL has improved. We're also so young in a lot of spots.

We can now focus on these next two weeks to develop the RB room and figure out the lines.
 
DefenderAO said:
We were 1st at goal at the six after the false start. We couldn't get a TD. And our OLine is supposedly the the strong point in the team coupled by a strong RB#1.
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I'm also disappointed that our line didn't get push there.

Not really sure if Emmett is the goal line kind of guy either way though. And the other backs just aren't very capable.

I suspect we're going to see Haarberg taking those situations more down the stretch.
 
SuperBigFan69 said:
Mush Rush!

You never get deeper than the QB. Bo used it to perfection back in the day (of course he was mean and said mean things...but anyway)

The QB was their only offense. That team sucks. Their WR's are brutal.
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Yeah….this comment is reminding me of a certain game where every jet sweep went for at least 30 yards. It’s ok to have a rule to not get deeper than the QB. But your eyes have to be looking for someone coming from the other side. Bo must have forgotten that part.
 
macroboy said:
If don’t we jump off-sides at the goal line, or miss a wide open receiver on a momentum changing 4th down, or any number of other things we easily win this game.

People don’t apply these ‘mistakes’ both ways.
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1st and goal from the 6 was way too much to ask for a TD after the false start?
 
Danny Bateman said:
Have some pride and say it with me:

“PINSTRIPE BOWL CHAMPS BABY!”
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Honestly this year's first game felt a lot like last season's last game against Boston College. We looked like the better team the entire game but still found ourselves in a position to lose in the fourth quarter.

Still, I just learned it was Nebraska's first season opening win against a Power Conference team since 2003.

When I saw Cincinnati was going to be our opening game I thought it was a tough draw. They've had the better program in recent years,
 
YetiJR said:
It was also a team that beat a playoff team, and had 4 losses by a touchdown or less (2 games were a 1 PT loss and a 3 PT loss).

This was a game we as fans overlooked, but we did something we haven't the last few years and won out. I think it was a win that'll teach players they can pull this out. Also, last year special teams would've lost us that game. This is the best receiving core I've ever seen and a lot of the OL has improved. We're also so young in a lot of spots.

We can now focus on these next two weeks to develop the RB room and figure out the lines.
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I'm worried us pushing around 248lb linemen the next two weeks will enforce, or subconsciously "okay" bad habits. These games should be easy wins, which should give confidence, but they're beating really subpar teams. Michigan is a whole other beast. I don't see really any way we win that game at this point.

Cincy has one guy that would play for Michigan right now. That giant DLineman. That's it. The 2nd quarter was the only time we showed real offensive life. And then we stall the first possession of the 2nd half with a chance to put the game at a distance.

Right now, do you trust these lines against a Minnesota? Seriously. Do you think we dominate the Gophers? What about Maryland, away? Iowa? To get to this touted 9-3 or 10-2 you have to win those games.

This year 3 Rhule needs to also be looked at. Temple. Baylor. Each conference were not against elite coaches week in and out. Great year 3's. Well, where are the elite coaches then? The B1G. The NFL. How have those stints gone? I'm not saying Rhule is bad. I like him a lot. I'm saying let's not conflate what this team is going to do this year based upon Rhule outclassing tier 2 coaches in other conferences. And, coupled with what we saw last night, it only makes sense to have a realistic view of where this team, and program, are at this point.

The next two weeks will tell us very little in big wins. They will confirm negative suspicions in closer wins. And then Michigan comes in. How worried are the Wolverines? Their coach chose to take that game as a suspension choice...

For the next two weeks here's what I'd like to see. Receivers being covered in man having three steps on their DB's. That means they may have a 1/2 step against Miching-types. Are they hit in stride for YAC? Are they falling down after a poor throw? Are we getting to 52 points through pancake blocks and solid technique or 6 4th and 1 pile pushing 1st downs. That's about the only movement I see to prepare and compete/beat Michigan.
 
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BigRedBuster said:
Yeah….this comment is reminding me of a certain game where every jet sweep went for at least 30 yards. It’s ok to have a rule to not get deeper than the QB. But your eyes have to be looking for someone coming from the other side. Bo must have forgotten that part.
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I mean, that is two different plays.

For jet sweeps and motions what is mostly done is the end or OLB runs right up field to the outside shoulder of the motion man. But generally as far as your eyes go you don't pick up anyone from the opposite of the football until they cross center. Anything before that doesn't really impact you.

With that said, with Bo it wasn't an "eye" issue, it was a two safety issue. He did not want to bring down a safety to play the motion man for some reason, probably because he was worried about getting beat deep or maybe just to give Husker fans something to complain about 10 years later.
 
Guy Chamberlin said:
Honestly this year's first game felt a lot like last season's last game against Boston College. We looked like the better team the entire game but still found ourselves in a position to lose in the fourth quarter.

Still, I just learned it was Nebraska's first season opening win against a Power Conference team since 2003.

When I saw Cincinnati was going to be our opening game I thought it was a tough draw. They've had the better program in recent years,
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Ehhh, last two years they have like 8 total wins.

Anything after that really doesn't matter all that much anymore with the way rosters change.
 
Agree with a lot of the criticism and some of the positives already mentioned. A couple of other things I learned...

John Butler: I appreciated that the defense played with a lot of energy. Guys were flying around. No, the execution wasn't always desired, but they seemed to play with intensity. Whatever is Butler's preferred scheme, he did well to mesh it with what White had established. The lack of big bodies up front will kill us in more than one game this season, but that's due to recruiting/portal.

Game Management: I might be overly critical here but I cringed when Rhule called that time-out on the 4th and 7 during Cincy's last drive. Cincy's offense is reeling a bit, our defense is feeling it, the crowd is amped (camera shaking moment for those that remember our lesser technology from the day), and ......... time-out, Nebraska. Momentum killer.
For someone that, in my opinion, is fantastic at "reading the room" off the field, he really seems to struggle with "reading the moment" on the field. (Of course Cincy winds up getting the first down. Seems to happen every time.)
 
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