It's an attitude problem.

[knapplc]

In the aftermath of the Minnesota loss, amid all the finger-pointing and soul-searching, the most telling quote of all may have come from Randy Gregory.

@danhoppen

Randy Gregory on possible overconfidence against Minnesota: "I think some (players) look at it as we should win because we're Nebraska."

This is the culture on this team that leads to these meltdowns.

Wyoming should give up down by three scores in the fourth quarter because we're Nebraska.

UCLA should stop fighting to get back in the game down 18 points in the first half and we're going to win because we're Nebraska.

SDSU shouldn't run for 200-something yards against our D1A defense because we're Nebraska.

Minnesota shouldn't think they can make a game of this because we're Nebraska.

You can go on and on through the losses over the past few years. This attitude is clearly evident throughout those games. Even in games we came back to win, like Ohio State in 2011 or Wisconsin 2012, it seemed like we came to WIN, not to PLAY, and there appeared to be this sluggishness, this surprised torpor throughout the first half of these games that these opponents are smashing us in the face, and how dare they, because we're Nebraska.

The thing that drives me the most crazy about this is, these guys aren't Nebraska. Better put, they're not the Nebraska that made the name, that built that stadium, that filled opponent stadiums with Red. They're standing on the shoulders of giants thinking, "Look how tall I am!" never realizing that they are not those teams of old. The name means nothing to today's opponents, other than a college football blue-blood who's clearly vulnerable and ripe for an upset.

The greatest thing about playing Nebraska today isn't seeing the legendary stadium, or the iconic uniforms, it's the fact that any team, from any conference, can beat these guys because their heads aren't on straight. Every team we face knows that, which is why, mysteriously, they all seem to rise up against us.

These guys have got to get that mentality out of their heads. They're not Nebraska. They're guys wearing the same uniforms that THE Nebraska once wore, minus the killer instinct that made those teams great, minus the 60-minute drive, minus the enjoyment of the fourth quarter where winners excel.

This mentality has to be stamped out by these coaches. They have to convince these guys that, while they're not the Nebraska that put the fear of Red into the hearts of old opponents, they can be, with hard work and guts and sacrifice.

I can't tell you how crazy this quote makes me. But it's the truth, and it's been evident for years.

 

[presidentjlh]

I've known this for a long time now.

There must be a culture change. The time has come that the team should realize that they are Nebraska in name only. The slogan of the team should be "Re-establish Nebraska."

 

[BigRedBuster]

Knapp....

I couldn't agree with you more.

It absolutely boggles my mind when the team comes off of two weeks of practice to prepare for Minnesota and the rest of our schedule that they come out and lay an egg like they did on Saturday. They should have been coming out of that locker room frothing at the mouth wanting to KILL someone. Instead, they came out with an attitude of...eh....I'm sure we will win.

And, I don't just put this on the coaches. If you are playing football at the FBS level at a place like Nebraska, the coaches shouldn't need to get you pumped up to go kick someone's a$$. if anything, the coaches should be the ones having to keep you calmed down and focused and then be able to turn you loose at the right time.

It pains we when I read comments after a loss of people like Quincy claiming they weren't surprised at the outcome because they didn't have a good week of practice. That makes absolutely no sense to me other than a wrong attitude throughout the team.

 

[presidentjlh]

Knapp....

I couldn't agree with you more.

It absolutely boggles my mind when the team comes off of two weeks of practice to prepare for Minnesota and the rest of our schedule that they come out and lay an egg like they did on Saturday. They should have been coming out of that locker room frothing at the mouth wanting to KILL someone. Instead, they came out with an attitude of...eh....I'm sure we will win.

And, I don't just put this on the coaches. If you are playing football at the FBS level at a place like Nebraska, the coaches shouldn't need to get you pumped up to go kick someone's a$$. if anything, the coaches should be the ones having to keep you calmed down and focused and then be able to turn you loose at the right time.

It pains we when I read comments after a loss of people like Quincy claiming they weren't surprised at the outcome because they didn't have a good week of practice. That makes absolutely no sense to me other than a wrong attitude throughout the team.

No kidding. I recall back in high school, bad weeks of practice usually made us pissed off and want to prove ourselves. Then again, I sucked terribly at football, so I suppose I shouldn't speak.

 

[ADS]

If the players have an attitude like that, then imo, that falls directly on coaching. Part of being a coach is getting your team to stay locked in the entire season.

 

[In the Deed the Glory]

Knapp....

I couldn't agree with you more.

It absolutely boggles my mind when the team comes off of two weeks of practice to prepare for Minnesota and the rest of our schedule that they come out and lay an egg like they did on Saturday. They should have been coming out of that locker room frothing at the mouth wanting to KILL someone. Instead, they came out with an attitude of...eh....I'm sure we will win.

And, I don't just put this on the coaches. If you are playing football at the FBS level at a place like Nebraska, the coaches shouldn't need to get you pumped up to go kick someone's a$$. if anything, the coaches should be the ones having to keep you calmed down and focused and then be able to turn you loose at the right time.

It pains we when I read comments after a loss of people like Quincy claiming they weren't surprised at the outcome because they didn't have a good week of practice. That makes absolutely no sense to me other than a wrong attitude throughout the team.

After today's presser, I think this comment was directed at the QB "decision".

 

[StPaulHusker]

If the players have an attitude like that, then imo, that falls directly on coaching. Part of being a coach is getting your team to stay locked in the entire season.

Agreed. See Alabama.

 

[Lyons in the Sea of Red.]

I agree, I guess I just don't understand how we have such mentally weak players.

Most of us have played football or some athletic sport of sorts, there comes a point when you're getting your a$$ kicked that you get pissed off and fight back. You don't see that from this team. Especially in the trenches, where it should be most evident. There should be times where one of our guys absolutely destroys their o-line. But we are content with laying down and thats it.

I dont get it, there is probably a culture problem. But a change in culture can only do so much, you have got to have some self motivation and desire. Heart.

 

[Hunter94]

If the players have an attitude like that, then imo, that falls directly on coaching. Part of being a coach is getting your team to stay locked in the entire season.

Agreed. See Alabama.

exactly, the coaches control the practice environment.

 

[beanman]

In the aftermath of the Minnesota loss, amid all the finger-pointing and soul-searching, the most telling quote of all may have come from Randy Gregory.

@danhoppen

Randy Gregory on possible overconfidence against Minnesota: "I think some (players) look at it as we should win because we're Nebraska."

This is the culture on this team that leads to these meltdowns.

Wyoming should give up down by three scores in the fourth quarter because we're Nebraska.

UCLA should stop fighting to get back in the game down 18 points in the first half and we're going to win because we're Nebraska.

SDSU shouldn't run for 200-something yards against our D1A defense because we're Nebraska.

Minnesota shouldn't think they can make a game of this because we're Nebraska.

You can go on and on through the losses over the past few years. This attitude is clearly evident throughout those games. Even in games we came back to win, like Ohio State in 2011 or Wisconsin 2012, it seemed like we came to WIN, not to PLAY, and there appeared to be this sluggishness, this surprised torpor throughout the first half of these games that these opponents are smashing us in the face, and how dare they, because we're Nebraska.

The thing that drives me the most crazy about this is, these guys aren't Nebraska. Better put, they're not the Nebraska that made the name, that built that stadium, that filled opponent stadiums with Red. They're standing on the shoulders of giants thinking, "Look how tall I am!" never realizing that they are not those teams of old. The name means nothing to today's opponents, other than a college football blue-blood who's clearly vulnerable and ripe for an upset.

The greatest thing about playing Nebraska today isn't seeing the legendary stadium, or the iconic uniforms, it's the fact that any team, from any conference, can beat these guys because their heads aren't on straight. Every team we face knows that, which is why, mysteriously, they all seem to rise up against us.

These guys have got to get that mentality out of their heads. They're not Nebraska. They're guys wearing the same uniforms that THE Nebraska once wore, minus the killer instinct that made those teams great, minus the 60-minute drive, minus the enjoyment of the fourth quarter where winners excel.

This mentality has to be stamped out by these coaches. They have to convince these guys that, while they're not the Nebraska that put the fear of Red into the hearts of old opponents, they can be, with hard work and guts and sacrifice.

I can't tell you how crazy this quote makes me. But it's the truth, and it's been evident for years.

We haven't been Nebraska for a very long time.

 

[beanman]

How do you change the attitude? I think Bo's been trying stuff these past couple of years with the military guys and such, but that obviously can't carry over every week. I would say you need more Nebraska blood in the coaching staff, but we already have Brown, Ganz and Garrison. Maybe need someone on D?? I don't know what the answer is. Hopefully someone does.

 

[The Dude]

Nebraska's back and we're here to stay.

 

[ADS]

Nebraska's back and we're here to stay.

 

[NUpolo8]

Ugh, not good.

If there's is a silver lining in any of that, it's that the sad little mew that "We can't recruit, all the kids today were barely alive in the glory days......" is patently false. (remember that when it gets used as an excuse to keep people in place, usually used by someone who will go nameless)

The Nebraska name still means something. Let's make it what it was.

 

[BigRedBuster]

If the players have an attitude like that, then imo, that falls directly on coaching. Part of being a coach is getting your team to stay locked in the entire season.

Agreed. See Alabama.

exactly, the coaches control the practice environment.

But....if the coaching staff doesn't play the "right" players then fans b!^@h and moan because we should just be playing the "right" players no matter how the practice.