Huskers in 2019....
- Thread starter Mavric
- Start date
HuskermanMike
Starter
The Huskers in 2019 need to catch some breaks and have a few things go their way. There will be a vast improvement with this team talent wise and the familiarity of the scheme will help. If we get a couple of players to develop well that will really help us in 2019.
Offense
QB- Adrian will be great this year and hopefully, we see some of the backups in a couple of game this year. The depth is solid at this position.
-RB room is figured out with Washington, Johnson, and Mills. Might see some of Wandale and other back here as well.
-TE-more people step up and get some yards, especially in the red zone
-WR- replacing Stanley won't be easy. However, we have many capable players and someone will be making plays here with JD.
Oline- The center and guard spots need to improve. Adrian cannot be taking 5 high snaps a game from the center position. Hixon looks good but how well will he do against B1G foes?
At the same time, this offense will look scary. Wandale motions into the backfield while Mo goes to the slot. We will be running circles around some defenses if we can get it figured out.
Overall, we need to be better at being consistent on Offense. No spurts of 10 or so minutes without scoring. Also, it's great to get 500 or so yards of offense, but we need to turn those into touchdowns.
Defense
DL- They have to be elite this year. We need to get pressure and be much better at stopping the run. The talent and depth are there this year, so no excuses with this group.
ILB- Mo Barry will be on another level and can Collin Miller step up and Honas stay healthy next to him? How good will Hannah be when he steps on campus?
OLB- Tannor and Davis need to step up. Ferguson will be solid if he stays healthy and Garrett Nelson will play this year and can give us some depth. This group must improve!
CB- This group needs to be elite for this season. Between Bootle, Jackson, Taylor and Pola Gates, they should be really good. They should be ready for the challenge.
S- Some question marks with this group but some solid pieces. Williams and Dismuke are solid. How will Eric Lee adjust to adding depth to this room? Will CJ Smith be healthy? JJ Domann will also greatly help this group out so we look good but not great. However, if everything goes our way this group will be very good.
Overall, turnovers are key for this group- force two or more a game and we will be really good. Now that guys know where they need to be, we should have the confidence to make plays and be hungry to force turnovers. Improvement of the pass rush and stopping the run this year will get the defense off the field. Limiting big plays is another thing that will improve with familiarity and it being year 2.
Special Teams
Punter- we have a competition with the MSU punter and Armstrong
Kicker- Barrett should continue to improve his game and gain confidence down the stretch.
I also predict we take a kickoff and a punt return to the house. Something we haven't really seen since DPE freshman year.
If we get an improvement with this unit that can help us win games. Look what good punting did for us the last seven games when Armstrong was inserted. Good special teams play can be the difference in close games.
2019 will be the first year we start and finish the season well. This is something we haven't seen in a long time. It might be too soon to make it to Indy but anything is possible
My prediction: Huskers will go 9-3.
Offense
QB- Adrian will be great this year and hopefully, we see some of the backups in a couple of game this year. The depth is solid at this position.
-RB room is figured out with Washington, Johnson, and Mills. Might see some of Wandale and other back here as well.
-TE-more people step up and get some yards, especially in the red zone
-WR- replacing Stanley won't be easy. However, we have many capable players and someone will be making plays here with JD.
Oline- The center and guard spots need to improve. Adrian cannot be taking 5 high snaps a game from the center position. Hixon looks good but how well will he do against B1G foes?
At the same time, this offense will look scary. Wandale motions into the backfield while Mo goes to the slot. We will be running circles around some defenses if we can get it figured out.
Overall, we need to be better at being consistent on Offense. No spurts of 10 or so minutes without scoring. Also, it's great to get 500 or so yards of offense, but we need to turn those into touchdowns.
Defense
DL- They have to be elite this year. We need to get pressure and be much better at stopping the run. The talent and depth are there this year, so no excuses with this group.
ILB- Mo Barry will be on another level and can Collin Miller step up and Honas stay healthy next to him? How good will Hannah be when he steps on campus?
OLB- Tannor and Davis need to step up. Ferguson will be solid if he stays healthy and Garrett Nelson will play this year and can give us some depth. This group must improve!
CB- This group needs to be elite for this season. Between Bootle, Jackson, Taylor and Pola Gates, they should be really good. They should be ready for the challenge.
S- Some question marks with this group but some solid pieces. Williams and Dismuke are solid. How will Eric Lee adjust to adding depth to this room? Will CJ Smith be healthy? JJ Domann will also greatly help this group out so we look good but not great. However, if everything goes our way this group will be very good.
Overall, turnovers are key for this group- force two or more a game and we will be really good. Now that guys know where they need to be, we should have the confidence to make plays and be hungry to force turnovers. Improvement of the pass rush and stopping the run this year will get the defense off the field. Limiting big plays is another thing that will improve with familiarity and it being year 2.
Special Teams
Punter- we have a competition with the MSU punter and Armstrong
Kicker- Barrett should continue to improve his game and gain confidence down the stretch.
I also predict we take a kickoff and a punt return to the house. Something we haven't really seen since DPE freshman year.
If we get an improvement with this unit that can help us win games. Look what good punting did for us the last seven games when Armstrong was inserted. Good special teams play can be the difference in close games.
2019 will be the first year we start and finish the season well. This is something we haven't seen in a long time. It might be too soon to make it to Indy but anything is possible
My prediction: Huskers will go 9-3.
Redux
Assistant Coach
It's how Northwestern got to Indy, and I expect us to be better than that team was by quite a bit.
bugeater17
Starter
Redux- I'm of similar thought. The only team in the West that I'm not confident we will beat is Iowa. I think the West will be decided on 11/29 in Lincoln.
No question the west is wide open this fall, but I just can't put Nebraska as the favorite in the west. Would I love to have Nebraska win the division? Hell yeah, but this team as 8 combined wins the last 2 years.
https://journalstar.com/sports/huskers/sipple/steven-m-sipple-with-mills-likely-in-fold-picking-nebraska/article_3a442ac0-d3fd-593c-a86e-5a474f443c65.html
https://journalstar.com/sports/huskers/sipple/steven-m-sipple-with-mills-likely-in-fold-picking-nebraska/article_3a442ac0-d3fd-593c-a86e-5a474f443c65.html
Last edited by a moderator:
Ulty
All-Conference
Which is why it will be so sweet when we win 10 games en route to a division title. Nebraska's return to relevance this year will be a compelling and attention-grabbing story across the country.
Mierin
Assistant Coach
Look at our schedule again.
Then watch the last 6 games of last season.
IMO no koolaid is required to predict 10 wins.
Last edited by a moderator:
Ulty
All-Conference
I remember so much optimism on Huskerboard and from the general fanbase at the beginning of each year during the Callahan, Pelini, and Riley years, even when we should have known better. Now we have Frost, a favorable schedule, and nearly everything on the upswing, yet many are pushing away the kool-aid, tempering their expectations, and hedging their predictions.
I get it. Years of mediocrity and failed expectations have made us cynical. I felt that way in Pelini's last couple of years and didn't think that Nebraska could ever possibly be back to where we once were. This isn't a finished product, there are no guarantees, and if Scott Frost can't bring us back, maybe no one can. But if something amazing is going to happen with the future of this program, we are going to start seeing it emerge this year.
The time for optimism is now.
I get it. Years of mediocrity and failed expectations have made us cynical. I felt that way in Pelini's last couple of years and didn't think that Nebraska could ever possibly be back to where we once were. This isn't a finished product, there are no guarantees, and if Scott Frost can't bring us back, maybe no one can. But if something amazing is going to happen with the future of this program, we are going to start seeing it emerge this year.
The time for optimism is now.
DrunkOffPunch
Starter
I don’t even know why you would bring up Riley’s last year. Different coach, different roster, and way different culture.
Landlord
Banned
What's the difference between being cynical and being realistic but still coming to a conclusion that we won't be that great this year?
One thing I've seen over the years is that Nebraska fans, and really probably all fans of teams in general, prognosticate the future of their team based only on their team and don't really spend much time looking at the teams on the other side of the schedule. Northwestern, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and Purdue all have just as realistic a chance to be better than they were last year. Colorado's a wild card as teams with new coaches always are. OSU and Iowa are a little bit of a mystery but neither will be easy or guaranteed by any stretch.
I can definitely see us at 10 wins. I can also easily see us at 6 or 7, but still being within a degree or two as good as the hypothetical ten win team. Sometimes balls don't bounce your way. Sometimes someone else gets lucky with a fluke. Sometimes things don't pan out the way you thought on paper. Sometimes the results from a year ago aren't a good predictor for what will happen this year. There's an infinite amount of variables that go into sporting events and that's why we love them. Yet some of us like to think we can understand and make sense out of most of them :Lol:
Redux
Assistant Coach
People that were disappointed in the Riley hire had to force themselves into being optimistic. I am very much a part of that category. Now that we got a coach we knew of that has a proven track record and a turnaround is obviously coming, it's more natural to force oneself to be more pessimistic. Nature of fandom.
runningblind
All-American
Maybe for some, but I know I forced myself into optimism with Riley also, and I tend to always be optimistic. I am extra optimistic this year because there are actual signs of progress now.
I am holding myself back from 11-1 though, haha. I'll say 10-2.