Dylan Raiola

[lo country]

That 2009 Husker offense was painful to watch.

But if you remember the bowl game, Watson was given a month to retool the offense he really wanted to run, and in that Holiday Bowl against a good Arizona team with a heralded defense, Nebraska boat-raced them 33 - 0, with Zac Lee carrying the ball 18 times in Watson's new RPO with a 48/23 run/pass split. That was the offense they carried into 2010, with the much speedier Martinez getting Lee's touches.

Watson's 2010 offense had Martinez rush for 965 yards, Rex Burkhead rush for 951 yards, and Roy Helu rush for 1,245 yards to go with 2,100 yards passing. Crazy to imagine Emmett Johnson getting 1,400 yards rushing this year, and having two other featured rushers gain 900 yards each.

You had me with the 48/23 run to pass ratio!!! Oh to get a dual threat QB and have those numbers on the regular.

Same year Martinez going 23/35 with 330 yards and 5 TD's, no INT's....112 yards rushing vs Okie St...

Could/would Dana run this scheme with the likes of TJ at QB.....

 

[Savage Husker]

The “*if* he needs a fresh start” is an interesting way to phrase it. Classic overthinker, so most likely nothing, but just found that interesting.

 

[chamrocck]

We Nebraska fans have had some hard lessons to learn. I’m not even going back that far and many thought Frost was the savior. In hindsight it was right to do. He was the obvious choice to be head coach. Then next it was Raiola is the savior. Even despite the soap opera with uncle being retained to satisfy the family, it was the right move, and we’d all probably do it to land a 5 star QB.

At least we have made some progress. But no one person is bigger than the program. I appreciate what Dylan did while he was here but he wasn’t the best fit. Ironically his uncle never built the OL where it needed to be to allow us to throw it like we hoped. We upgraded the WRs, not elite but certainly good enough if the QB had more protection and could get the ball out quicker. But we need to run the ball and EJ showed how critical that is to winning games. We need to be known for winning the LOS and we all learned how critical that is to losing games.

Rhule has to reset the board. Coaches and players both. Bad news is we lost our 5 star QB. Good news is that it’s never been easier to build a roster with immediate impact on how you want to play and create your identity. Identity is what we have lacked chasing shiny objects as the quick fix. Again we had to do it for the time we were in. But now we need to build back to the Nebraska we all know is still out there. We need to reclaim our rightful identity.

 

[DrinkinwitTerrellFarley]

Technically that 10-4 season in 2009 was tied for Bo's best. That record did not improve when he got his spread guys and got rid of Watson and Gilmore. I don't think pass-happy Tom Osborne thwarted the Huskers by keeping Watson, who ran more than he passed, even with Joe Ganz. It's more that neither pocket passer Zac Lee or dual threat Cody Green was very good at QB, an unfortunate one year blip between Ganz and Taylor Martinez. Bigger question is why the defense quickly went off a cliff.

That's because he didn't recruit to the level that Callahan did. I have no doubt in my mind though that if the offense in '09 is even average they go 11-1 with a loss to Leach and Texas Tech because Mike Leach owned Bo Pelini. We all remember the Yakety Sax game with the Cyclones where they turned the ball over 8 times and lost by 2 points. Bo and Nebraska's trajectory likely changes after the season if they go 11-1 and opens more recruiting doors with the 'Huskers competing for championships. I still get a joy out of watching Landry Jones get put into a blender that year.