Let's Talk Offensive Line

[Enhance]

I won't kid anybody - I know very little about what it takes to be an offensive linemen. I played tackle football when I was younger, but I was nowhere near big enough to be considered any type of linemen. The closest thing I ever got to consistently blocking was playing a little full back and some perimeter blocking as a WR.

Our offense line against Iowa State, Kansas, and Texas A&m was, for the most part, embarrassed. They were pushed around all night, getting blown off the ball, or just not picking up blocks. Considering that both ISU and KU are much less talented on the defensive line, this is disheartening.

I'm curious, for those of you who have played on the lines or for those of you that know quite a bit about it, what is it exactly that this unit isn't doing when they are playing?

To me, it's clearly not a strength issue. Dobson is one of the best S&C coaches in the country and I don't think there is any debating that.

I also have trouble believing it to be a motivation issue. This team has arguably more reason than any other team in recent memory to succeed, just by going off of the fact that we have a huge target on our backs for leaving the conference and because of what happened last year in the title game.

So, what gives? Is it technique? Is it in fact the coaches not correctly motivating our players to dominate the guy in front of them? Opinions?

 

[ESPY]

I think it's a mix of things. Technique for one was not what it should've been against a tough Aggie D-line. They were getting leverage and push all night on us. Very disheartening.

 

[zoogs]

Cotton came in here touting his superior difference to Callahan in OL coaching. Don't worry about the nitty gritty of technique and all that, just play aggressive. Players loved that, I'm sure. I wonder if Cotton has changed any, even with the consulting of Milt.

 

[Pedro Guerrero]

It seems other then Ricky Henry or Yoshi/Sirles nobody gets any kind of push or actually hits someone when they pull. I don’t know what Barney sees in the Joneses but neither of them cut it, Williams got a lot of pub for being a top notch OG and he is highly inconsistent and has way to many pulls where he hits nobody. Caputo was getting owned on Saturday and as a result of that being owned stepped on Martinez leg.

My guess as to why the line play has been more miss then hit – I’ll give you a hint it rhymes with Zarney Rotten. :facepalm: He stinks, has always stunk and will continue to stink. :ahhhhhhhh He has a job because of his Big Red ties nothing more nothing less. Nobody was knocking on his door when Bo came making good on his promise. :wacko:

 

[NUance]

Perhaps the "hats on hats" guy just doesn't have much under his hat.

 

[n.e.husker]

We had trouble picking up some blitzes due to the 3-4 D in the aggie game.

 

[Igetbored216]

Our oline is bad. I'm not sure why, but I'm sure most of the reason is because of Barney Cotton. He has been below average everywhere he has coached and continues this trend at Nebraska.

 

[wilber24]

I would start with Caputo, undersized. He has plenty of fight in him!

But too small to consistently compete against bigger players.

Besides, getting blown up, cost NU there QB.

Who knows how the game turns out if that does not happen!

 

[Igetbored216]

Well whatever Barney is doing, it's not working. They had one good showing against a decent team this year and that was Mizzou. Other than that they have been MIA.

 

[HuskerJosh]

Well whatever Barney is doing, it's not working. They had one good showing against a decent team this year and that was Mizzou. Other than that they have been MIA.

They were good against Washington. They were pretty good against Oklahoma State. They were terrible against Texas and terrible against A&M. I don't think they're "bad", I think they're inconsistent and I have been very unimpressed with DJ Jones.

 

[ESPY]

It seems other then Ricky Henry or Yoshi/Sirles nobody gets any kind of push or actually hits someone when they pull. I dont know what Barney sees in the Joneses but neither of them cut it, Williams got a lot of pub for being a top notch OG and he is highly inconsistent and has way to many pulls where he hits nobody. Caputo was getting owned on Saturday and as a result of that being owned stepped on Martinez leg.

For the record, one of our two illegal formation penalties was because of Williams. He recognized that he was getting beat on plays requiring him to pull to the other side O-line, so he lined up a yard off the line of scrimmage to get better clearance for his pull. Obviously that sort of formation is illegal b/c a guard he needs to be on the line. It was a legit call by the ref (that time), and an easy one to make. Williams just wasn't cutting it.

 

[Igetbored216]

They were good against Washington. They were pretty good against Oklahoma State. They were terrible against Texas and terrible against A&M. I don't think they're "bad", I think they're inconsistent and I have been very unimpressed with DJ Jones.

Washington doesn't have a rush defense or any kind of defense really, so I didn't include them.

Will there be any point where fans take a look at an inconsistent oline and realize it's Cotton's job to make them consistent? We can bash Callahan all we want for his job at being a head coach - he was really bad - but his ability to coach an o-line is undeniable. I still think this is why our 2008 o-line performed fairly well, and why it has been downhill from there.

 

[Husker Richard]

I would start with Caputo, undersized. He has plenty of fight in him!

But too small to consistently compete against bigger players.

Besides, getting blown up, cost NU there QB.

Who knows how the game turns out if that does not happen!

I disagree. We were singing his praises after games against Washington, KSU, and Mizzou.

The whole line played like garbage against A&M so why would you single out one player?

It was a terrible freak accident when he happened to step on Martinez's leg in such a manner. If he doesn't step on Taylor's leg, would you still be calling him out? What other mistakes from the A&M game did he make that the rest of the line did not?

 

[wilber24]

I would start with Caputo, undersized. He has plenty of fight in him!

But too small to consistently compete against bigger players.

Besides, getting blown up, cost NU there QB.

Who knows how the game turns out if that does not happen!

I disagree. We were singing his praises after games against Washington, KSU, and Mizzou.

The whole line played like garbage against A&M so why would you single out one player?

It was a terrible freak accident when he happened to step on Martinez's leg in such a manner. If he doesn't step on Taylor's leg, would you still be calling him out? What other mistakes from the A&M game did he make that the rest of the line did not?

Is he undersized, yep. Does he make up for it with speed and fight, sure. But that has not been the first time he has been blown up

Go back and look at some tapes. He has been pancaked a few more times than just the A&M game. Just happened to cost you your starting QB.

 

[ADS]

The one thing that our offensive line has not done all year is get low enough to be able to control the defender across from them. The are standing up, get pushed back on a run play. Pass protection has not be a huge issue this year though I will give them credit for that.