Im giving watson one more year

[kyle sibert]

The recievers catching the ball rely heavily on the coach..that why we have a "receivers" coach....consistant o-line blocking rely heavily on the o-line coach..hence the name "o-line" coach....and the offense struggling rely heavily on the "offensive coordinator"...i think you get my drift..maybe pelini can focus some of his anger on the man who has athletes all over on offense yet can move it against an average defense...when did we see helu, burkhead, and tmart all in the backfield at once? NEVER..we seem to be able to put all of our best players on the field on defense, yet cant do so on offense..shear stupidity on watsons part...no more chances for him..he's proven he has only been average wherever he's coached..I thought Bo doesnt settle for average, and strives for perfection..the offense is the complete opposite of perfect..its a disaster...i dont wanna hear about tmart and other injuries...we were perfectly healthy against Texas and couldnt execute worth a crap against an athletic defense..same result last week..just a different texas team

THIS.

Not even necessarily in the backfield, just one the field at once! Rex in the wildcat more with Tmart split out! Anything! Best X's and O's advice I ever got in regards to coaching was to have your best players on the field and to find positions for them... There's a reason why Eric Martin is moving to End.

 

[Paul in WI]

The legend of TO (at least on this board)seems to be bigger than his reality. Except for three yrs his teams were pretty much exactly like this years team. Even those 3 yrs of no losses they had some nail biters and some lackluster victories. TO never had to deal with digging a team out of the basement. His most successful years were the result of two decades of building a foundation, taking some lumps and continuing to grind on. Nebraska football will only get back to an undefeated season with consistency. Firing very capable staff is not going to bring in a championship football team.

Unless you can name better alternatives to each position you would like to fire, and give a breakdown explaining how they would do better, then the fire them all pettiness should stop.

I for one I am extremly thankful and happy to be 9-2 right now. Win or lose this has been a great, exciting, competitive season.

Go Huskers!!

I watched every season that TO coached, and I really must beg to differ with you there. There may have been seasons with less talent, but I NEVER remember seeing a TO-coached offense look even REMOTELY like the one on the field this year. I think a few million other people will back me on this one too.

 

[Hunter94]

I'm not holding a sign, but if Watson found somewhere else to go after the season, I hope Bo makes the fullest use of the opportunity to bring in people who can run this system with discipline and efficiency. Too much talent is going to waste right now.

absolutely, Watson has had a sh#t load of chances, he has failed!

 

[Hunter94]

You know, about this time last year, a lot of people who were on this board wanted Watson to get out town. I think i was one of the few that stood up for him last year, but i a made it apparent that Watson had next season (2010) to make it up and show us what he can bring to the offense. A chance to finally put the critics to rest and in their place that he can come up with a well balanced offensive scheme.

He failed at that. What i have seen this season is a magic act (no pun intended T-Magic). Its all been a magic act, while fans have been looking at the speedster in Taylor Martinez and making Big Red fans drooling and splurging in their pants over the zone-read option, it distracted them away from the real problem, recievers made very little effort to get better at catching the ball (became apparent during the Texas game), we still have a fumbling problem that has not been fixed (all season long, 34 fumbles if i counted correctly), and if you take away Taylor Martinez, we are right back where we were last year as an offense. Lost and undisclipined. It makes you think, is Cody Green naturally that bad and we all hyped him up too much? or is it that Shawn Watson didn't do a very good job of fully developing a young QB?

It can't be Cody Green can't run the zone-read, hell he did it last year against FAU on that break out long run. Tell me that particular play was not the zone-read in its earliest form?

I'm sorry, but after last year and many of you, including myself wanted this guy gone, i gave him one more chance to wow me, and so far i have not seen it, despite the speedster in Taylor Martinez that he pulled out of his top hat of tricks. Its time to find a new job Watson, this year under Bo Pelini was strike three for you.

very good observations, wats is an impostor.

 

[kansas husker]

So for the sake of discussion, lets hear some PROVEN OC canidates who could replace Watson and do a better job.

 

[I am I]

Zoogies and Kansas huskers are watsons kids, I have deduced. They argue against all reason that the ACTUAL PLAY ON THE FIELD is not a result, even a remote possiblility, of the last 3-5 yrs of coaching.

It just goes against reason that how or the way they are being coached/developed/held accountable/taught/etc...has anything to do with their performance, right?

Example: Austin Cassidy probly wouldn't start for 7 or 8 B12 teams, yet he makes huge plays for us on D.

Niles Paul is a 4* recruit and has 4 years of experience in this system, yet can't keep out of his own way.

All player or all coaching or a combination?

Well, you caught me my support of him has nothing to do with the fact that in 2008 Watsons offnese was the only thing that made the team watchable. The game plan has been there almost every week, the job of the OC is to put the players in a position to win. The job of the players is to exicute.

wrong. Our D went from like 107th to like 56th or something. Yes, our offense was key in making that a great turnaround season and scoring points was such a massage of the senses, but our improved D line play, improved turnover ratio, and ability to tackle in the open field was a HUGE part of that. And that was done with ONE year of turnaround.

Not to mention 08 was a senior laden team w Slauson, Ganz, Peterson, et al as very capable players. Why do u not see Watsons inability to produce? Seriously look at it from just a numbers, TD, top 25 competition standpoint. It just does not compute. He has not produced. We are what, 6 in the B12 in total O this year? And what about scoring O? We have slipped as the season has gone on. Whereas our D has been nothing short of heroic. Watsons offense plain and simple, has lost us games the last 2 yrs.

 

[I am I]

So for the sake of discussion, lets hear some PROVEN OC canidates who could replace Watson and do a better job.

the coaching carosuel will turn and coaches know who is/will be available. It is such a tight knit community. Remember the chance solich took on a young and up and comer from the Packers? He got a recomendation and did interviews and ended hiring a guy named Bo Pelini after the Craig Bolh disaster. someone is out there ready to make a difference for us.

 

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

I think I have to jump on the fire watson bandwagon. I became really frustrated with his play calling on our second to the last drive (started with Burkheads 35yd run from the 5yd line). Why the hell did he have Taylor "throw" it on 3rd and 7, inside our the 10 yard line. The risk of an interception was to great. Had the ball been picked off, there would have been no chance whatsoever to at least tie the game. Why didn't he continue to run the ball with Burky. That I think was the breaking point for me

 

[huskerscott]

I think I have to jump on the fire watson bandwagon. I became really frustrated with his play calling on our second to the last drive (started with Burkheads 35yd run from the 5yd line). Why the hell did he have Taylor "throw" it on 3rd and 7, inside our the 10 yard line. The risk of an interception was to great. Had the ball been picked off, there would have been no chance whatsoever to at least tie the game. Why didn't he continue to run the ball with Burky. That I think was the breaking point for me

I didnt mind the call to throw it. But i wouldve thrown a fade to endzone using McNeill or Cotton.... that way the recevier is the only one that comes away with the ball not the opposition. Running the slant increases the chance of an interception, a drop, big hit jarring the ball loose causing a fumble.

We needed a TD plain and simple.... if our Oline couldve blocked then we wouldnt have been in 3rd and 7 from the beginning.

Besides we wouldve bashed the call if we ran the ball on that play.

 

[hskerprid]

The recievers catching the ball rely heavily on the coach..that why we have a "receivers" coach....consistant o-line blocking rely heavily on the o-line coach..hence the name "o-line" coach....and the offense struggling rely heavily on the "offensive coordinator"...i think you get my drift..maybe pelini can focus some of his anger on the man who has athletes all over on offense yet can move it against an average defense...when did we see helu, burkhead, and tmart all in the backfield at once? NEVER..we seem to be able to put all of our best players on the field on defense, yet cant do so on offense..shear stupidity on watsons part...no more chances for him..he's proven he has only been average wherever he's coached..I thought Bo doesnt settle for average, and strives for perfection..the offense is the complete opposite of perfect..its a disaster...i dont wanna hear about tmart and other injuries...we were perfectly healthy against Texas and couldnt execute worth a crap against an athletic defense..same result last week..just a different texas team

Actually, during the game Saturday night we had Helu, T-Mart & Burkhead in a pro set during one series. I turned to my wife and yelled Finally!! Give the defense ALOT to think about. Not just a gimpy QB with no threat to run and one back.

 

[wiby_NU]

The recievers catching the ball rely heavily on the coach..that why we have a "receivers" coach....consistant o-line blocking rely heavily on the o-line coach..hence the name "o-line" coach....and the offense struggling rely heavily on the "offensive coordinator"...i think you get my drift..maybe pelini can focus some of his anger on the man who has athletes all over on offense yet can move it against an average defense...when did we see helu, burkhead, and tmart all in the backfield at once? NEVER..we seem to be able to put all of our best players on the field on defense, yet cant do so on offense..shear stupidity on watsons part...no more chances for him..he's proven he has only been average wherever he's coached..I thought Bo doesnt settle for average, and strives for perfection..the offense is the complete opposite of perfect..its a disaster...i dont wanna hear about tmart and other injuries...we were perfectly healthy against Texas and couldnt execute worth a crap against an athletic defense..same result last week..just a different texas team

Actually, during the game Saturday night we had Helu, T-Mart & Burkhead in a pro set during one series. I turned to my wife and yelled Finally!! Give the defense ALOT to think about. Not just a gimpy QB with no threat to run and one back.

Something I missed..thanks for bringing it up...still doesnt negate the hundreds of other series with a quarterback on one good leg and a single running back in the backfield..where has Legate been also...he has had a few promising plays then sits the rest of the game...Even though im bringing up not having tmart, rex, and helu in the backfield at once..you cant run when your offensive line is getting pushed 5 yards into the backfield (Caputo) or drawing a penalty every other play

 

[Hujan]

I think this team deserves a chance to play without any remnants of Callahan. It seems like the major stumbling blocks we have on this team are the two Callahan holdovers, in Gilmore and Watson.

Bo cannot be pleased that excellent defense is being squandered because the offense cannot score a single touchdown (see Va Tech '09, Texas '09, Texas '10, A&M '10).

Honestly, it will be hard to watch this team next year if Bo doesn't make some changes on offense. Unlike the Big 12, they play some solid D in the Big 10 and we are going to get dominated. (Note, for example, the way Oregon's seemingly unstoppable offense got shut down by Ohio State in last season's Rose Bowl.)

 

[zoogs]

The major stumbling blocks are Cotton and Gilmore, so that makes it unrelated to Callahan. I think in fans' minds though, Callahan will be a stumbling block that anyone with connections to him will never get past, even though his forte was the offense while his weaknesses were as HC, and those intricately tied with him there, should be viewed positively.

 

[GBR #1]

I think it is time for an Offensive makeover. We need to get rid of Callawats, Gilmore, and Barney Fife. Let's do something bold and bring in Scott Frost from Oregon. He knows how to win as a player and a coach. Let's hire an OC that is going to commit to giving the Offense an identity. Then Bo and Carl can manage the game with just a little less stress. Crap, they held both Tex@ss teams to a total of 29 points (and that was with the help of our friends the Beebe Zeebies). Peace out!

 

[Hujan]

The major stumbling blocks are Cotton and Gilmore, so that makes it unrelated to Callahan. I think in fans' minds though, Callahan will be a stumbling block that anyone with connections to him will never get past, even though his forte was the offense while his weaknesses were as HC, and those intricately tied with him there, should be viewed positively.

Was the offense that great under Callahan? There seems to be some revisionist history afoot. I seem to remember an anemic and frustratingly predictable offense scoring a single touchdown against Oklahoma in the 2006 CCG, and failing to do much at all against Auburn in the Cotton Bowl that year. There was the run in 2007 where we scored 6 points against Missouri, and managed just 14 points against both Oklahoma State and Texas A&M that year, much of it in garbage time. In fact, much of our scoring that year came in garbage time when the other team, having already dominated our defense, had the game well out of hand and put in their defensive scrubs (e.g., the USC game).

Regardless, whatever real or imagined offensive success we might've had under Callahan was, at best, enough to justify keeping Watson and Gilmore on board during the transition. They've had three years to prove their worth and things have not gotten much better, and actually worse from 2008. Do you think their association with Callahan's relatively effective offense is enough to keep giving them opportunities year after year? Or would you agree that production is what counts? Because often times, the offense looks as ineffective as the defense did in 2007. You see the same inconsistency, ineffectiveness, lack of execution, and lack of discipline.

Not to mention that whatever skill Watson and Gilmore might have had running Callahan's offense is largely rendered moot by the fact that . . . we don't run Callahan's offense anymore. If Watson and Gilmore were brought on board to run the WCO, logic would suggest that we either need to return to the WCO if we intend to keep them, or should jettison those coaches if we intend to move to a different offense. I'm tired of trying to drive screws with those hammers.