First Down Struggles

[Mavric]

These stats had a lot more to do with us losing than the Hail Mary. That play was the nail in the coffin but we should never have been in the position for that play to beat us. We were behind the sticks all day.

And this doesn't even include all the penalties.

» 5.05: Nebraska yards per play on first down. Considering the Huskers averaged 5.7 yards per play for the game, the first-down rate wasn’t pretty. It was especially anemic in the first half: 20 plays, 88 yards. And 61 of those 88 yards came on three plays. The other 17 first-down plays in the first half? Twenty-seven yards. That won’t do. BYU averaged 6.4 yards per play on first down.


» 3.65: Yards per carry on first-down rushes. That won’t do, either. For reference, NU averaged 6.21 yards per carry on first down last season, 5.70 in 2013, 5.64 in 2012 and 5.08 in 2011.

» 50 percent: Nebraska’s completion rate on first down. Also won’t do. Armstrong completed 7 of 14 passes. The first-down rate needs to be north of 60 percent in an offense like this — and preferably north of 65 percent.

OWH

 

[Enhance]

It's stats like these which make the Hail Mary virtually irrelevant to me. We didn't play well enough over the course of that game to win, and put ourselves in that spot to get beat when it mattered most.

The running stats are what I'd love to see improve. That was my biggest disappointment from game one. An inconsistent rushing attack and no real rhythm.

It's like this tOSU vs. VT game I'm watching right now - tOSU has Elliott, a dude who put up 200+ rushing yards in their last three games last season, and busted an 80-yarder on his first rush of this game. Now there's 2:30 left in 2nd quarter and he only has three carries.

 

[True2tRA]

From the article:

» BYU quarterback Taysom Hill: Nice player, better runner. I didnt find him that much more impressive than his backup, Mangum. Hill didnt always process NUs defenses that well, which is why press coverage would have been better.

bullsh#t.
McKewon, don't write an entire article dogging the defense, failing to credit them with much at all, then minimize the type of player that gave them fits.

Its garbage.

Hill is a hell of a QB. He made all the throws, felt the pocket and escaped pressure, and used his legs to destroy us. The same way he would and could to multiple defenses, possibly every defense in the country.

 

[True2tRA]

Also,

The two third-and-1 plays were less understandable. They were disasters. Starting with a no-huddle sneak. On that one, Langsdorf hoped Nebraska could line up quickly and catch BYU off-guard. But an official stood over the ball for several extra seconds. The Cougars lined up and stuffed quarterback Tommy Armstrong for no gain.

Lining up quickly and picking up a third and one on a quick snap QB sneak is not a "disaster" of a play call. I see teams, college and professional, do this every weekend. It usually works. The ref impacted this one. Just because it didn't work, does mean it was a bad call. It just means it didn't work out.

 

[Saunders]

Also,

The two third-and-1 plays were less understandable. They were disasters. Starting with a no-huddle sneak. On that one, Langsdorf hoped Nebraska could line up quickly and catch BYU off-guard. But an official stood over the ball for several extra seconds. The Cougars lined up and stuffed quarterback Tommy Armstrong for no gain.

Lining up quickly and picking up a third and one on a quick snap QB sneak is not a "disaster" of a play call. I see teams, college and professional, do this every weekend. It usually works. The ref impacted this one. Just because it didn't work, does mean it was a bad call. It just means it didn't work out.

It was bad because it was closer to two yards than one, and once the ref decided to stand over the ball and not let us quick snap it, the element of surprise is gone.

 

[True2tRA]

Also,

The two third-and-1 plays were less understandable. They were disasters. Starting with a no-huddle sneak. On that one, Langsdorf hoped Nebraska could line up quickly and catch BYU off-guard. But an official stood over the ball for several extra seconds. The Cougars lined up and stuffed quarterback Tommy Armstrong for no gain.

Lining up quickly and picking up a third and one on a quick snap QB sneak is not a "disaster" of a play call. I see teams, college and professional, do this every weekend. It usually works. The ref impacted this one. Just because it didn't work, does mean it was a bad call. It just means it didn't work out.

It was bad because it was closer to two yards than one, and once the ref decided to stand over the ball and not let us quick snap it, the element of surprise is gone.

Hindsight is 20/20. Maybe in the future, Langsdorf explains to Tommy that if the play cannot happen quickly, then change up to something else. Regardless, none of that still, makes it a disastrous play call. Its a legit call, it just didn't work.