Injuries & personnel losses take their toll

[Mavric]

What I don't understand is how Kenny goes years without injury and then suddlenly gets "hurt" in games here and there and sits out the rest of the game and then is back for the next game. Sounds like a case of pussitis

Ding ding ding.. I have always thought this was a very overrated receiver. Dont get me wrong. He has made some nice catches and a clutch one here and there. Just not a game in and game out guy.

He is #3 in Husker history in number of 100 yard receiving games.

He is fourth on the list for yards in a season (2012).

He is #7 and #9 on the list for receptions in a season.

He is #5 on the list for receiving TDs in a season.

He is #3 on the list for receiving TDs in a career.

He is #3 in consecutive games with a reception.

He has been held without a catch in two games in his career - the first game of his freshman year and the 2012 Iowa game that looked like it belonged in the 1920s.

He needs 158 yards to become Nebraska's all-time receiving yardage leader.

He needs 11 catches to become Nebraska's all-time receiving leader.

He is #8 all-time in all-purpose yardage.

I think it's possible that you aren't giving him enough credit.

 

[kchusker_chris]

What I don't understand is how Kenny goes years without injury and then suddlenly gets "hurt" in games here and there and sits out the rest of the game and then is back for the next game. Sounds like a case of pussitis

Ding ding ding.. I have always thought this was a very overrated receiver. Dont get me wrong. He has made some nice catches and a clutch one here and there. Just not a game in and game out guy.

He is #3 in Husker history in number of 100 yard receiving games.

He is fourth on the list for yards in a season (2012).

He is #7 and #9 on the list for receptions in a season.

He is #5 on the list for receiving TDs in a season.

He is #3 on the list for receiving TDs in a career.

He is #3 in consecutive games with a reception.

He has been held without a catch in two games in his career - the first game of his freshman year and the 2012 Iowa game that looked like it belonged in the 1920s.

He needs 158 yards to become Nebraska's all-time receiving yardage leader.

He needs 11 catches to become Nebraska's all-time receiving leader.

He is #8 all-time in all-purpose yardage.

I think it's possible that you aren't giving him enough credit.

Outside of Johnny Rodgers and Irving Fryar, most of the receiving (and passing for that matter) records are dominated by guys playing in the last decade. Niles Paul, Nate Swift, Purify, Bell, Enunwa, (even Lucky tops some of the categories). All good players, but there isn't an Amari Cooper, or Sterling Shepard type among them. Cracking the record books in passing or receiving at Nebraska doesn't carry a lot of weight right now. It's more a product of the historical state of Nebraska football and the current offensive trends.

With that said, Bell's also done all this with run-first QBs so it's not like we threw out a Kenny Hill QB for him where he'll be targeted 15 times a game. He makes the most of his targets, and he's a pretty dang good player. Overrated? Hardly. Record setting? Probably only at Nebraska. I see him as a 7th round pick at best. I'd take a team full of those, that's for sure. But he won't dominate a game like someone that's about to break a huge list of school records should be able to do.

 

[Danny Bateman]

It's thoroughly useless to try to prognosticate how Kenny would've played in non-NU offenses... because he hasn't.

He's not extraordinarily gifted as far as size or anything but he's got that vaunted "get away from the cops" speed and generally reliable hands, with very few exceptions while he's been here. There will always be shots in the NFL for burners with good hands.

That said... I too am disappointed he wasn't on the field for our final drive last week. Maybe he's the difference between Hovey and DPE bumping into each other and us walking out of there with a W. It's a shame too the way Zo Mo was getting behind their DBs. I have a feeling Kenny woulda torched em.

 

[StPaulHusker]

All I know is that I am glad Kenny Bell is a Husker. He has been a great player for us. And I don't believe any injuries he has suffered where he was held out the rest of the game cost us a win.

 

[Count 'Bility]

What I don't understand is how Kenny goes years without injury and then suddlenly gets "hurt" in games here and there and sits out the rest of the game and then is back for the next game. Sounds like a case of pussitis

Ding ding ding.. I have always thought this was a very overrated receiver. Dont get me wrong. He has made some nice catches and a clutch one here and there. Just not a game in and game out guy.

He is #3 in Husker history in number of 100 yard receiving games.

He is fourth on the list for yards in a season (2012).

He is #7 and #9 on the list for receptions in a season.

He is #5 on the list for receiving TDs in a season.

He is #3 on the list for receiving TDs in a career.

He is #3 in consecutive games with a reception.

He has been held without a catch in two games in his career - the first game of his freshman year and the 2012 Iowa game that looked like it belonged in the 1920s.

He needs 158 yards to become Nebraska's all-time receiving yardage leader.

He needs 11 catches to become Nebraska's all-time receiving leader.

He is #8 all-time in all-purpose yardage.

I think it's possible that you aren't giving him enough credit.

Outside of Johnny Rodgers and Irving Fryar, most of the receiving (and passing for that matter) records are dominated by guys playing in the last decade. Niles Paul, Nate Swift, Purify, Bell, Enunwa, (even Lucky tops some of the categories). All good players, but there isn't an Amari Cooper, or Sterling Shepard type among them. Cracking the record books in passing or receiving at Nebraska doesn't carry a lot of weight right now. It's more a product of the historical state of Nebraska football and the current offensive trends.

With that said, Bell's also done all this with run-first QBs so it's not like we threw out a Kenny Hill QB for him where he'll be targeted 15 times a game. He makes the most of his targets, and he's a pretty dang good player. Overrated? Hardly. Record setting? Probably only at Nebraska. I see him as a 7th round pick at best. I'd take a team full of those, that's for sure. But he won't dominate a game like someone that's about to break a huge list of school records should be able to do.

Yep yep yep.

Like how Joe Daily broke single game passing records in his first start.

 

[74Hunter]

The problem isn't just the injuries, it's the wear and tear on the guys who are actually healthy enough to play. The coaches are going to grind them into mush,,again.

If we make it to Indy, i wouldn't be shocked to see another lopsided loss if we don't get healthy and start subbing guys in.

 

[kchusker_chris]

The problem isn't just the injuries, it's the wear and tear on the guys who are actually healthy enough to play. The coaches are going to grind them into mush,,again.

If we make it to Indy, i wouldn't be shocked to see another lopsided loss if we don't get healthy and start subbing guys in.

 

[Mavric]

Outside of Johnny Rodgers and Irving Fryar, most of the receiving (and passing for that matter) records are dominated by guys playing in the last decade. Niles Paul, Nate Swift, Purify, Bell, Enunwa, (even Lucky tops some of the categories). All good players, but there isn't an Amari Cooper, or Sterling Shepard type among them. Cracking the record books in passing or receiving at Nebraska doesn't carry a lot of weight right now. It's more a product of the historical state of Nebraska football and the current offensive trends.

With that said, Bell's also done all this with run-first QBs so it's not like we threw out a Kenny Hill QB for him where he'll be targeted 15 times a game. He makes the most of his targets, and he's a pretty dang good player. Overrated? Hardly. Record setting? Probably only at Nebraska. I see him as a 7th round pick at best. I'd take a team full of those, that's for sure. But he won't dominate a game like someone that's about to break a huge list of school records should be able to do.

I agree and figured someone would bring that up. But I think you have to be doing pretty well "game in and game out" to end up in the Top 5 all-time in basically every major receiving category and especially all-purpose yardage.

 

[74Hunter]

The problem isn't just the injuries, it's the wear and tear on the guys who are actually healthy enough to play. The coaches are going to grind them into mush,,again.

If we make it to Indy, i wouldn't be shocked to see another lopsided loss if we don't get healthy and start subbing guys in.

Umm,, substitutions. You know, not having one guy play every snap of every game.

 

[kchusker_chris]

Umm,, substitutions. You know, not having one guy play every snap of every game.

Who is playing every snap of the game that you would like to see on the sidelines more?

 

[HUSKER FREAK]

Can I get a list of players that are playing every snap first? Please?

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

If Kenny Bell's receiving stats aren't enough for you, take a gander of his highlight reel of shots delivered to opponets as a blocker or special teams gunner. Absolutely balls-out for a guy his size.

I can't think of a more go-to guy, who backed it up almost every game in a long Husker career.

What a weird time to be taking our star players down a peg.

 

[Hedley Lamarr]

Why are we the only team that has injuries?

 

[Count 'Bility]

Why are we the only team that has injuries?

Even as late as last year, I was arguin with folks that it's just a stroke of bad luck. But I was wrong. This is 4 years in a row now. even in 2011, we had some issues down the stretch. But two years in a row now, it's just been total dessimation. I know everyone has issues, but it's becoming a trend here. It's something that needs addressed.

 

[Born N Bled Red]

If Kenny Bell's receiving stats aren't enough for you, take a gander of his highlight reel of shots delivered to opponets as a blocker or special teams gunner. Absolutely balls-out for a guy his size.

I can't think of a more go-to guy, who backed it up almost every game in a long Husker career.

What a weird time to be taking our star players down a peg.

I don't think anyone is trying to take him down a peg. Everyone, I think recognizes Kenny's importance to the program. Which is why I was very disappointed he didn't try to make a go of it at least on the last drive. Especially if the injury is insignificant enough that he's ready to go already for Northwestern. Even if not 100% as we saw, his experience being on the field could very well have resulted in the W. I can't recount all the games he's gotten injured in during his career here, but it seems like there have been several where his contributions would have made a difference. Minnesota last year, McNeese St. and Michigan St. this year all come to mind. In all instances he was back relatively quickly, so the injuries may have been minor.

I'm not advocating at all that players should play injured if they can't make a go of it, but how many times have we seen Tommie and Ameer shake off a hard hit where something got tweaked and still perform. It's Kenny's senior year, he is a captain, and a leader of this team. If it were me, I suck it up and tell coach, "put me in, I'll do my best to win this game for us," just as Tommie did.

Again, as long as our receivers don't run into each other on that last play, we very well could have won. Kenny could have been the difference and could have led to an undefeated Senior year for him and Ameer. If he was sitting out just "to be safe," he gave that opportunity up.