How Far We've Come This Year

R

Roy CO HSKR

Five-Star Recruit
From Shudog77:

The Solich Years: I-Back Josh Davis is a good representation of the problems the Solich Era created. A player possessing mediocre ability thrust to the forefront of a major football program, with all of us outsiders realizing all too late that maybe the Ol’ Husker football program was in for some dark days. Ahman Green, Dan Alexander, Josh Davis???? What happened to the talent? All Conference Selections for the Huskers from 1999 to 2001 = 18. From 2002-2004 = 8.

“But give Solich another chance!” fans cried.

Husker football alone generates $87 million dollars in total economic output, creates over 2100 jobs, and brings in nearly $500,000 in direct sales tax revenue for the city of Lincoln (Economic Impact Report for the UNL Athletic Dept, 2005). High school coaches get second chances. NAIA coaches get second chances. Elite Division 1-A football coaches heading programs that generate the kind of cheese that Husker football does do not get second chances.

Steve Pederson: A visionary who recognized a problem and had the rocks to make an unpopular change. In two years, he will either be the second most popular man in Nebraska (behind Callahan), or one of the most despised men in the history of the state.

Coach Callahan. Can he put us back on top? The upward trend indicates yes. He assembled a premier, big name coaching staff that seems to coalesce. He hauled in a top flight recruiting class his first full off season, filling holes that desperately needed to be filled. And regardless of the Alamo Bowl outcome, his second year win record increased substantially after a dismal 5-6 season in 2004-05. Self-destruction and lack of fan support are the only things I foresee preventing Callahan from positioning the Huskers back on top with the big boys of college football.

The Alamo Bowl: The scene is set for an Alamo bowl that could be remembered by Husker and Wolverine fans alike for years to come. The wild card in this game will be coaching. Who will game plan successfully? And conversely, who will wish for another chance to attack the drawing board? It’s undisputed that Michigan has more talent, but with over three weeks to prepare, talent can be marginalized. Also a critical factor in this game will be HEART. In other words, which team is willing to work harder for a victory?

The 2005-2006 Season: That was a blast folks! When was the last time you have been on the edge of your seats for so many games in one season? When was the last time you have seen our boys line up toe to toe with bigger, stronger opponents and swing until they exhaust themselves? Come 12/28/05, its go time baby! Put on your red, knock one back for good luck, and prepare to watch the red and white give it all they got. Thank you players and coaches for making the 2005-2006 football season one to remember.

GO BIG RED

 
I think the quote "Day by day, we get better and better................" sums it all up. :thumbs

 
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that's a good post by Shudogg, and mostly I agree, but I can guarantee that the usual suspects will have something to say about the "necessity of change" and debate that Callahan will never take NU back to the top. Time will tell.

 
The beginning of a new era, one way or another. SOme people like to ride the edge of the frontier, some don;t.......

But no matter what, it is an interesting time in Husker history. I think just because it IS Nebraska, the fact that such changes are happening, well, it's quite historic. No matter what, these 5 year period or so will live on in Husker history forever.

countdown is on...............

 
The Solich Years: I-Back Josh Davis is a good representation of the problems the Solich Era created. A player possessing mediocre ability thrust to the forefront of a major football program, with all of us outsiders realizing all too late that maybe the Ol’ Husker football program was in for some dark days. Ahman Green, Dan Alexander, Josh Davis???? What happened to the talent? All Conference Selections for the Huskers from 1999 to 2001 = 18. From 2002-2004 = 8.
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While Im not going to defend Solichs recruiting, Josh Davis for one was not of "mediocre talent" if I remember correctly. I believe he was one of the top 15 rated backs in the country, possibly a 4 :star recruit.

He hauled in a top flight recruiting class his first full off season, filling holes that desperately needed to be filled.
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One out of three. He's beginning to figure out (much like Solich did) that NU is not an easy place to get recruits to come to, even IF your name is Tom Osborne. :thumbs Unless he pulls a couple out of his backside this year, this class will look very "Solich-esque" so to speak.

Steve Pederson:.....or one of the most despised men in the history of the state.
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He already is.

Coach Callahan. He assembled a premier, big name coaching staff that seems to coalesce. 
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I guess it must be true because shudog77 said so :wacko: Besides billy c taking another mans team to the Super Bowl, and a couple of Rose Bowls by the DC, this staff is hardly "a premier, big name staff." Most people were wondering who these guys were prior to their arrival at NU. :blink:

The 2005-2006 Season: That was a blast folks! When was the last time you have been on the edge of your seats for so many games in one season?
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24 PPG, not all that exciting.
When was the last time you have seen our boys line up toe to toe with bigger, stronger opponents and swing until they exhaust themselves?
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Or struggle against teams with much less talent.

The Alamo Bowl: The scene is set for an Alamo bowl that could be remembered by Husker and Wolverine fans alike for years to come.
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That remains to be seen. I just want NU to win the game, most importantly play well, and build on what happened at CU, not play like the team that went to KU.

To get back to the original statement "How far we've come this year" nothing in this post shows it. I guess if you want to dedhoarse about FSs recruiting, or whether pud will be loved or hated is showing "how far we've come this year," it just shows how little progress has been made.

 
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In answer to FF's demeaning comments on the quality of our coaching staff from rojo:

Let's see...

Do “Super Bowls” count?

--Blake: 3

--Callahan: 1

--Norvell: 1

--Randy Jordan: 1 (as a player).

.

But let's confine it to....

Experience in College Bowls:

1) Bill Callahan: (2-3)

--’82 Liberty Bowl: Alabama 21 – Illinois 15 (L)

--’83 Rose Bowl: UCLA 45 – Illinois 9 (L)

--’85 Peach Bowl: Army 31 – Illinois 29 (L)

--’93 Rose Bowl: Wisconsin 21 – UCLA 16 (W)

--’94 Hall of Fame Bowl: Wisconsin 34 – Duke 20 (W)

2) Kevin Cosgrove: (7-5)

--’82 Liberty Bowl: Alabama 21 – Illinois 15 (L) [Grad Asst]

--’83 Rose Bowl: UCLA 45 – Illinois 9 (L)

--’85 Peach Bowl: Army 31 – Illinois 29 (L)

--’93 Rose Bowl: Wisconsin 21 – UCLA 16 (W)

--’94 Hall of Fame Bowl: Wisconsin 34 – Duke 20 (W)

--’95 Copper Bowl: Wisconsin 38 – Utah 10 (W)

--’97 Outback Bowl: Georgia 33 – Wisconsin 6 (L)

--’98 Rose Bowl: Wisconsin 38 – UCLA 31 (W)

--’99 Rose Bowl: Wisconsin 17 – Stanford 9 (W)

--’00 Sun Bowl: Wisconsin 21 – UCLA 20 (W)

--’02 Alamo Bowl: Wisconsin 31 – Colorado 28 (W)

--’03 Music City Bowl: Auburn 28 – Wisconsin 14 (L)

3) Jay Norvell: (3-0)

--'86 Holiday Bowl: Iowa 39 - San Diego St. 38 (W) [Grad Asst]

--’93 Rose Bowl: Wisconsin 21 – UCLA 16 (W)

--’94 Hall of Fame Bowl: Wisconsin 34 – Duke 20 (W)

4) Bill Busch: (3-0)

--’94 Hall of Fame Bowl: Wisconsin 34 – Duke 20 (W) [Grad Asst]

--’01 Las Vegas Bowl: Utah 10 – USC 6 (W)

--’03 Liberty Bowl: Utah 17 – Southern Miss 0 (W)

5) John Blake: (4-1)

--’85 Orange Bowl: Oklahoma 25 – Penn State 10 (W) [Grad Asst]

--'86 Orange Bowl: Oklahoma 42 - Arkansas 8 (W) [Grad Asst]

--’87 Orange Bowl: Oklahoma 42 – Arkansas 8 (W)

--'88 Citrus Bowl: Clemson 13 - Oklahoma 6 (L)

--’91 Gator Bowl: Oklahoma 48 – Virginia 14 (W)

6) Scott Downing: (5-4)

--'84 Sugar Bowl: Nebraska 28 - LSU 10 (W) [Grad Asst]

--'85 Fiesta Bowl: Michigan 27 - Nebraska 23 (L) [Grad Asst]

--’97 Alamo Bowl: Purdue 33 – Oklahoma State 20 (W)

--’98 Alamo Bowl: Purdue 37 - Kansas State 34 (W)

--’99 Outback Bowl: Georgia 28 – Purdue 25 (L)

--’00 Rose Bowl: Washington 34 – Purdue 24 (L)

--’01 Sun Bowl: Washington State 33 – Purdue 27 (L)

--’02 Sun Bowl: Purdue 34 – Washington 24 (W)

--’03 Alamo Bowl: Nebraska 17 – Michigan State 3 (W)

7) Phil Elmassian: (7-7)

--’86 Peach Bowl: Virginia Tech 25 – North Carolina State 24 (W)

--’87 All-American Bowl: Virginia 22 – BYU 16 (W)

--’89 Citrus Bowl: Illinois 31 – Virginia 21 (L)

--’90 Sugar Bowl: Tennessee 23 – Virginia 22 (L)

--’91 Hall of Fame Bowl: Syracuse 24 – Ohio State 17 (W)

--’92 Fiesta Bowl: Syracuse 26 – Colorado 22 (W)

--’93 Independence Bowl: Virginia Tech 45 – Indiana 20 (W)

--’94 Gator Bowl: Tennessee 45 – Virginia Tech 23 (L)

--’95 Sun Bowl: Iowa 38 – Washington 18 (L)

--’97 Outback Bowl: Georgia 33 - Wisconsin 6 (L)

--’98 Rose Bowl: Wisconsin 38 – UCLA 31 (W)

--’99 Rose Bowl: Wisconsin 17 – Stanford 9 (W)

--’00 Cotton Bowl: Texas 35 – Louisiana State 20 (L)

--’03 Capitol One Bowl: Georgia 34 – Purdue 27 (L)

8) Ron Gilmore: (2-1)

--’01 Sun Bowl: Washington State 27 – Purdue 23 (L)

--’02 Sun Bowl: Purdue 34 – Washington 24 (W)

--’04 Houston Bowl: Colorado 33 – UTEP 28 (W)

9) Randy Jordan: (0-0)

--No college coaching before Nebraska.

10) Dennis Wagner: (2-3)

--’99 Las Vegas Bowl: Utah 17 – Fresno State 16 (L)

--’00 Silicon Valley Bowl: Air Force 37 – Fresno State 34 (L)

--’01 Silicon Valley Bowl: Michigan State 44 – Fresno State 35 (L)

--’02 Silicon Valley Bowl: Fresno State 30 – Georgia Tech 21 (W)

--’03 Silicon Valley Bowl: Fresno State 17 – UCLA 9 (W)

.

The Bottom Line:

There's lot's of experience in post-season play. Now Callahan simply must mobilize it.

Callahan won't be out-worked.

The film-study, the game-planning, sequencing the practice schedule, a new twist or two.... it will all be there.

13 point underdogs?

Hmmm.... We'll see.

Just some things to think about....

_________

PS You can never convince a pessimist with a grudge, Roy!

 
djr-------you were right. it didnt take very long at all did it
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AS PREDICTED :lol:

It's useless debating formerfan about whether or not this coaching staff is worth a darn. Spin the record round and round...

 
It's useless debating formerfan about whether or not this coaching staff is worth a darn.  Spin the record round and round...
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I guess we agree to disagree, you see black, I see white.

Only time will tell........ <_<

:cheers

djr-------you were right. it didnt take very long at all did it
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Instead of making me the topic, lets discuss the team, shall we?? ;)

:box

 
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it is hard to discuss something with someone that is quick to bring out the negatives but convienantly fails to mention the reasons.

example

you say that the running game this year is much worse than last year and when you look at the raw numbers it is. but you fail to mention the key losses that the Oline experienced this year and the lack of depth that the oline was left with following the recruiting woes of FS.

 
Roy CO HUSKER - lots of work digging up records. I don't read everyones threads, but always read the ones you've started because I've learned to expect intelligent comments.

Wasn't there a Chinese blessing that said - "May you live in interesting times". That certainly applies to NU football this last year. I would have preferred going for a Big 12 Championship or better yet the NC, but have to admit that many of the games were exciting and had me guessing as to which NU team was going to show up. Can't remember when my emotions went from dispair (KU game) to elation / top of the mountain (CU game) in just a couple of weeks!

As for the Alamo game, I believe NU will make a close game of it and we will all be proud of our team regardless of the final score.

GBR :bounce

 
Since I kind of ride the fence, I wonder what both sides will say after the game...

NU Blowout win: Sunshine: I told you so!

Darkness: Michigan didn't show up to play.

NU win: Sunshine: I told you so!

Darkness: Michigan didn't show up to play.

UM Blowout win: Sunshine: NU is young, you can't expect them to play well in their first bowl game!

Darkness: I told you so! Callahan Sucks!

UM win: Sunshine: Wow! The youngin's played well. Good experience.

Darkness: I told you so! Callahan Sucks!

Now that that's settled, no one needs to say anything after the game, and we can all get along, right?!!

:cheers

 
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