HuskerfaninOkieland
Heisman Trophy Winner
And again, Sam puts out another well written article
NE Statepaper
Husker Monday Review: Missouri Game
Instead of the traditional format, we ask five pressing questions
by Samuel McKewon
October 05, 2008
Instead of our traditional review format, in which we cover the players we loved, questions we have and look back at the five keys, we’re boiling Nebraska’s 52-17 meltdown against Missouri to five questions.
We did something similar after NU’s 49-31 loss to Southern California last year, because that particular game struck a chord, like this loss to the Tigers did. Like that game, Saturday night was a stunning reminder of the gulf between good and great, a reminder how much head coach Bo Pelini has to do before the team is turned around.
Pelini refers to his Huskers as “a work in progress.” On Saturday night, it looked like some of that progress was washed away. In upcoming, we’ll see.
On with the questions:
Can Nebraska calm down and get out of its own way?
There is no issue of desire with these Huskers. They want to win badly and erase a lot of the ugly memories from 2007. If you dig just a little under the surface of some players, you’ll find a lot of burning white coals over last season, when a handful of senior “leaders” packed it in and quit on their coaches after the Ball State game.
That’s not going to happen this year – the threat of Pelini’s wrath is simply too great – but the team’s pendulum has swung too wildly in the other direction. NU’s passion is blotting out its precision. The Huskers were wildly out of position at times Saturday night. Other times, they just froze, uncertain who tackle or cover.
Pelini, in a strongly-worded mea culpa, suggested that the coaching wasn’t good enough during the week. Dunno about that, but Nebraska has particular problems getting its legs under it in the first quarter.
It’ll take Pelini time to gauge how to get his team mentally prepared, and what methods work best. But when the head coach comes off the practice field once or twice a week, saying there are mental mistakes to clean up, something is getting lost in translation.
Can Barney Cotton whip his offensive line into shape?
We’re moving past “what happened” because it doesn’t much matter. The more pressing issue is: What’s next?
The Huskers do not block the counter plays well. They do not block the stretch plays well. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson has all but eliminated the toss play from the top of the playlist; it only shows up when NU is way ahead or way behind. The unbalanced look didn’t work. Three tight ends doesn’t work. The Huskers have to find a bread-and-butter – and fast.
Is there a way to maximize Joe Ganz’s strengths without forcing him into mistakes? That is, is there a way without running the ball, which hasn’t done any good?
We said right after NU’s 47-24 win over Western Michigan that Ganz’s terrific first half performance in that game was a credit to him, but a concern overall. Ganz was scrambling around making play – but that he had to scramble at all was a problem. He’s still doing it and it’s resulting in about one bad sack and one worse interception per game. Now, to be fair, Ganz is the only guy creating touchdowns out there, too. If NU was using an immobile quarterback, like the last two were – ugh, scary.
Watson took a step in the right direction Saturday night by using a shovel pass, which is necessary, I presume, to cover up for NU’s non-existent screen game. Still – NU has to somehow alter its protection scheme or get Ganz into safer plays. Because Mizzou’s defense is aggressive, but it isn’t all that good.
Does Pelini have a better plan to attack the spread offense? Or does he just need to perfect the basic outline he’s got?
While NU’s choice of using three-man front with a roving end made sense against Missouri, the defense struggled to execute it. With games against Baylor, Texas Tech and Kansas still looming – and with Oklahoma incorporating elements of the attack into its offense, Pelini will either have to return to the drawing board or drill his current plan into the heads of his defenders.
Nebraska’s missing Barry Turner, and that was a nice piece of the pass rushing puzzle. It doesn’t help, either, when Cody Glenn goes out of the Missouri game with an ankle injury. Nevertheless – Saturday night was the first time the Huskers seemed truly vulnerable against the run. The first time they genuinely resembled to the 2007 unit. After spending four games in bend mode, Nebraska’s defense broke, and broke cleanly.
Does Nebraska have the talent to compete in the Big 12? If so, is it all on the field?
The conventional wisdom says yes, of course the Huskers have the players to, if not win the Big 12 crown right now, at least compete against the second-tier teams like Kansas and Texas Tech. The recruiting analysts would say the same.
On-field performance would not.
NU looked like it was two or three gears slower than Missouri. Not just Jeremy Maclin. But Missouri in general. When did that happen? How? Certainly strength and conditioning James Dobson couldn’t turn Bill Callahan’s bizarre philosophies around in just one offseason, but the Huskers didn’t look any quicker Saturday against Missouri. Just smaller. Mizzou running back Derrick Washington looked bigger than any of Nebraska’s linebackers and faster than all of them except Cody Glenn.
All over the field, the Huskers lacked crucial speed. Receivers Nate Swift, Todd Peterson and Menelik aren’t bad on intermediate routes, but none of them stand out as that big play guy. Roy Helu’s a tough runner, but he’s not running away from defenders. Quentin Castille’s a tough dude, but he has a hard time finding holes. Of course there’s Marlon Lucky, who must be having one whale of a senior season, that’s for sure.
How many of NU’s players could start, right now, at Missouri?
It’s a valid question. Glenn, maybe? Dillard? Zach Potter and Ndamukong Suh? Anyone on offense? Forget Maclin and tight end Chase Coffman, who are both early round NFL Draft picks – wouldn’t Tommy Saunders be Nebraska’s top receiver if he played in Lincoln?
The “talent question” has been ongoing and the source of much debate. Pelini has refocused his recruiting efforts toward Texas and the south, where speed comes on the menu at the Waffle House. But until that pipeline kicks in – how does Pelini create a team that maximizes the best of his athletes?
NE Statepaper
Husker Monday Review: Missouri Game
Instead of the traditional format, we ask five pressing questions
by Samuel McKewon
October 05, 2008
Instead of our traditional review format, in which we cover the players we loved, questions we have and look back at the five keys, we’re boiling Nebraska’s 52-17 meltdown against Missouri to five questions.
We did something similar after NU’s 49-31 loss to Southern California last year, because that particular game struck a chord, like this loss to the Tigers did. Like that game, Saturday night was a stunning reminder of the gulf between good and great, a reminder how much head coach Bo Pelini has to do before the team is turned around.
Pelini refers to his Huskers as “a work in progress.” On Saturday night, it looked like some of that progress was washed away. In upcoming, we’ll see.
On with the questions:
Can Nebraska calm down and get out of its own way?
There is no issue of desire with these Huskers. They want to win badly and erase a lot of the ugly memories from 2007. If you dig just a little under the surface of some players, you’ll find a lot of burning white coals over last season, when a handful of senior “leaders” packed it in and quit on their coaches after the Ball State game.
That’s not going to happen this year – the threat of Pelini’s wrath is simply too great – but the team’s pendulum has swung too wildly in the other direction. NU’s passion is blotting out its precision. The Huskers were wildly out of position at times Saturday night. Other times, they just froze, uncertain who tackle or cover.
Pelini, in a strongly-worded mea culpa, suggested that the coaching wasn’t good enough during the week. Dunno about that, but Nebraska has particular problems getting its legs under it in the first quarter.
It’ll take Pelini time to gauge how to get his team mentally prepared, and what methods work best. But when the head coach comes off the practice field once or twice a week, saying there are mental mistakes to clean up, something is getting lost in translation.
Can Barney Cotton whip his offensive line into shape?
We’re moving past “what happened” because it doesn’t much matter. The more pressing issue is: What’s next?
The Huskers do not block the counter plays well. They do not block the stretch plays well. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson has all but eliminated the toss play from the top of the playlist; it only shows up when NU is way ahead or way behind. The unbalanced look didn’t work. Three tight ends doesn’t work. The Huskers have to find a bread-and-butter – and fast.
Is there a way to maximize Joe Ganz’s strengths without forcing him into mistakes? That is, is there a way without running the ball, which hasn’t done any good?
We said right after NU’s 47-24 win over Western Michigan that Ganz’s terrific first half performance in that game was a credit to him, but a concern overall. Ganz was scrambling around making play – but that he had to scramble at all was a problem. He’s still doing it and it’s resulting in about one bad sack and one worse interception per game. Now, to be fair, Ganz is the only guy creating touchdowns out there, too. If NU was using an immobile quarterback, like the last two were – ugh, scary.
Watson took a step in the right direction Saturday night by using a shovel pass, which is necessary, I presume, to cover up for NU’s non-existent screen game. Still – NU has to somehow alter its protection scheme or get Ganz into safer plays. Because Mizzou’s defense is aggressive, but it isn’t all that good.
Does Pelini have a better plan to attack the spread offense? Or does he just need to perfect the basic outline he’s got?
While NU’s choice of using three-man front with a roving end made sense against Missouri, the defense struggled to execute it. With games against Baylor, Texas Tech and Kansas still looming – and with Oklahoma incorporating elements of the attack into its offense, Pelini will either have to return to the drawing board or drill his current plan into the heads of his defenders.
Nebraska’s missing Barry Turner, and that was a nice piece of the pass rushing puzzle. It doesn’t help, either, when Cody Glenn goes out of the Missouri game with an ankle injury. Nevertheless – Saturday night was the first time the Huskers seemed truly vulnerable against the run. The first time they genuinely resembled to the 2007 unit. After spending four games in bend mode, Nebraska’s defense broke, and broke cleanly.
Does Nebraska have the talent to compete in the Big 12? If so, is it all on the field?
The conventional wisdom says yes, of course the Huskers have the players to, if not win the Big 12 crown right now, at least compete against the second-tier teams like Kansas and Texas Tech. The recruiting analysts would say the same.
On-field performance would not.
NU looked like it was two or three gears slower than Missouri. Not just Jeremy Maclin. But Missouri in general. When did that happen? How? Certainly strength and conditioning James Dobson couldn’t turn Bill Callahan’s bizarre philosophies around in just one offseason, but the Huskers didn’t look any quicker Saturday against Missouri. Just smaller. Mizzou running back Derrick Washington looked bigger than any of Nebraska’s linebackers and faster than all of them except Cody Glenn.
All over the field, the Huskers lacked crucial speed. Receivers Nate Swift, Todd Peterson and Menelik aren’t bad on intermediate routes, but none of them stand out as that big play guy. Roy Helu’s a tough runner, but he’s not running away from defenders. Quentin Castille’s a tough dude, but he has a hard time finding holes. Of course there’s Marlon Lucky, who must be having one whale of a senior season, that’s for sure.
How many of NU’s players could start, right now, at Missouri?
It’s a valid question. Glenn, maybe? Dillard? Zach Potter and Ndamukong Suh? Anyone on offense? Forget Maclin and tight end Chase Coffman, who are both early round NFL Draft picks – wouldn’t Tommy Saunders be Nebraska’s top receiver if he played in Lincoln?
The “talent question” has been ongoing and the source of much debate. Pelini has refocused his recruiting efforts toward Texas and the south, where speed comes on the menu at the Waffle House. But until that pipeline kicks in – how does Pelini create a team that maximizes the best of his athletes?