Defense vs Offense

Tonight's BCS/MNC game really highlights two things relevant to Nebraska football.

1. A defense like we had in 2009, swarming, hard hitting and quick got us 1 mythological second from a shot at that national title..Alabama has that kind of defense on the field tonight.

2. When a defense know it does not have to show concern for even a minimally consistent down-field passing threat, it will overwhelm an offense that is otherwise talented. Between dropped balls and passing inconsistency, teams this year were able to just line up and come at us.

Personally, I think both of those things can be fixed for next year. Young studs on defense and the offensive line in addition to Taylor Martinez advancing as much as he did this year. I'd love to see this fleet of young, fast backs turn into receivers out of the backfield next year. Hey...it could happen....
If you cannot block and cannot tackle, you cannot win. In order to do those two things, we need better athletes at those positions. End of story.

the blocking and tackling positions?

why on earth would you bump this pos thread?

 
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i sure miss the attacking, swarming defenses we used to field........they were more fun to watch than the offense!

 
i sure miss the attacking, swarming defenses we used to field........they were more fun to watch than the offense!
AMEN! I loved the attacking, dictating defenses Charlie fielded his last ten years or so. Those were a lot of of fun to watch. Maybe I'm just looking at the wrong things, but it seems to me that defensive tribute videos on YouTube tend to be 1) The 90s Blackshirts or 2) SUUUUUUUUHHHHHH!

I know I'm a heathen for suggesting this, but I have seriously begun to doubt Bo's "genius" when it comes to defense based on the past couple of years. I know there's lots more going on than a few sentences on a message board can cover, but the results aren't lying. The Genius Trophy has quite a bit of tarnish on it right now.

 
i sure miss the attacking, swarming defenses we used to field........they were more fun to watch than the offense!
AMEN! I loved the attacking, dictating defenses Charlie fielded his last ten years or so. Those were a lot of of fun to watch. Maybe I'm just looking at the wrong things, but it seems to me that defensive tribute videos on YouTube tend to be 1) The 90s Blackshirts or 2) SUUUUUUUUHHHHHH!

I know I'm a heathen for suggesting this, but I have seriously begun to doubt Bo's "genius" when it comes to defense based on the past couple of years. I know there's lots more going on than a few sentences on a message board can cover, but the results aren't lying. The Genius Trophy has quite a bit of tarnish on it right now.
Yes, it does.

However, 2003 gives me hope. We better see some of that this year.......

 
It seems as though we run the Option today as an effort to appease the fans longing for the Glory Days, without committing to learning what to do to make it actually work.
Yes. I think it has been like this for years, the only difference is that before it was some token play run once or twice against an OOC foe we were blowing out of the water. Now it's being attempted to be made a real part of the offense.

I think as much as we are installing other things, it isn't worth it, except as a 'trick play' used once or twice to catch the defense off guard.

Oh wow, this is an old post.

 
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It seems as though we run the Option today as an effort to appease the fans longing for the Glory Days, without committing to learning what to do to make it actually work.
Yes. I think it has been like this for years, the only difference is that before it was some token play run once or twice against an OOC foe we were blowing out of the water. Now it's being attempted to be made a real part of the offense.

I think as much as we are installing other things, it isn't worth it, except as a 'trick play' used once or twice to catch the defense off guard.

Oh wow, this is an old post.
Yep.

The option isn't a casual thing to play with. You should live it or forget it.

 
It seems as though we run the Option today as an effort to appease the fans longing for the Glory Days, without committing to learning what to do to make it actually work.
Yes. I think it has been like this for years, the only difference is that before it was some token play run once or twice against an OOC foe we were blowing out of the water. Now it's being attempted to be made a real part of the offense.

I think as much as we are installing other things, it isn't worth it, except as a 'trick play' used once or twice to catch the defense off guard.

Oh wow, this is an old post.
Exactly what I was thinking.

 
i sure miss the attacking, swarming defenses we used to field........they were more fun to watch than the offense!
AMEN! I loved the attacking, dictating defenses Charlie fielded his last ten years or so. Those were a lot of of fun to watch. Maybe I'm just looking at the wrong things, but it seems to me that defensive tribute videos on YouTube tend to be 1) The 90s Blackshirts or 2) SUUUUUUUUHHHHHH!

I know I'm a heathen for suggesting this, but I have seriously begun to doubt Bo's "genius" when it comes to defense based on the past couple of years. I know there's lots more going on than a few sentences on a message board can cover, but the results aren't lying. The Genius Trophy has quite a bit of tarnish on it right now.
I don't know if Bo has ever had to work w/ marginal tallent. 03' he had a backfield that caught more passes than our receivers this year. Look at his time at LSU. He had Dorsey (and many others). His high point at NU was riding Suh. Then in 2010 he had what, 6-7 NFL draft picks on the defense. Last year we had a team of polar extremes. David, one of the best LBers to play at NU in decades lined up next to one of the worst in the last 5-10 years. Dennard, one of the top 5 lined up opposite one of the worst I've seen in a while (at least the first 9ish games). The DL was like musical chairs. On top of all of that, Carl was running the defense. I'm going to give Bo a pass on last year (as far as the defense is concerned) But he'd better get back to the physical, ball hawking defense that wins games. Our offense turns the ball over - but we aren't losing the turnover margin because of the offense...it's this defense. And you can not convince me that forcing a fumble is luck...there's a skill to it, one that goes far being standing a guy up for and extra 5 yards while you grab at the ball. That's schoolyard sh!t.

 
LSU's defense in 2011 was better than any Bo coached LSU defense. I've never been a fan of the bend but don't break defense. There's just too many things that can go wrong playing this style of defense. I'd have to agree with the assessment that Bo has never had to coach as mediocre of talent on defense as he did in 2011. However, who's fault is that? For all the crap that Solich got for recruiting, the 2003 defense had a lot of talent on it. When I see guys in the secondary of Thorell's stature, I'm reminded of many of our defenses from the 80's when we were losing eight bowl games in a row. McBride didn't get good until he got speed. We're still lacking in that department.

 
i sure miss the attacking, swarming defenses we used to field........they were more fun to watch than the offense!
AMEN! I loved the attacking, dictating defenses Charlie fielded his last ten years or so. Those were a lot of of fun to watch. Maybe I'm just looking at the wrong things, but it seems to me that defensive tribute videos on YouTube tend to be 1) The 90s Blackshirts or 2) SUUUUUUUUHHHHHH!

I know I'm a heathen for suggesting this, but I have seriously begun to doubt Bo's "genius" when it comes to defense based on the past couple of years. I know there's lots more going on than a few sentences on a message board can cover, but the results aren't lying. The Genius Trophy has quite a bit of tarnish on it right now.
+1

 
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