LJS: Husker Run Game is Common Sense

[ColoradoHusk]

One thing every fan should be careful of is the UCLA performance and how that may or may not translate to 2016. UCLA was not very good in the front seven.

Yes and no. UCLA was not very good. But there were other teams that weren't very good that we didn't really try to run on. And there were teams that were pretty good at run defense (Michigan State) that we had pretty good success running the ball against.

I'm not saying we should run the ball 80% of the time every game. But people continually trying to shrug off the results of the UCLA game aren't really looking at the whole picture.

One thing that I've always been amazed at is our ability to move the ball on Michigan State, who has consistently fielded one of the best defenses in the conference and country the past few years.

I don't think we should expect a complete flip in run/pass this season, and definitely nothing like we saw against UCLA on a game-to-game basis. But if anything, the UCLA game should give the staff confidence that Nebraska can run the ball and often experiences more success when being run-heavy as opposed to pass-heavy.

I think Michigan State's defense has been overrated, especially when it comes to playing spread offense teams. Oregon and Ohio State shredded them in 2014. Nebraska put up a ton of yards in '14, as well, just had too many turnovers. I think Michigan State has been able to prop up their defensive rankings through the years playing against crappy Big Ten defenses.

 

[Landlord]

I think we will run more and run better, but let's put to rest this trope that we ran the ball straight into the line a few times, then gave up and flung the ball all over the place.

We ran as much as we passed, and were right in the middle of the run-centric Big 10, with a higher per-game rushing offense than Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Penn State, and just a yard behind the conservative ball control offense of Iowa. Nebraska's 4.7 yard per carry rushing average was perfectly decent, reflecting a sane diversity of play calls.

Interesting to see Coach Power T invoke Shawn Watson, who was often criticized on this same board for being too cute and never running the ball enough.

If the defense holds up its end of the bargain and if Tommy makes better decisions both running and passing, I think run game will evolve nicely.

His run scheme's were good I always thought. I thought his decision making/play calling was suspect. However I liked the scheme of what Watson was doing.

Agreed. Watson's 2010 offense was fun, creative, and deadly until Taylor got hurt.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

I think we will run more and run better, but let's put to rest this trope that we ran the ball straight into the line a few times, then gave up and flung the ball all over the place.

We ran as much as we passed, and were right in the middle of the run-centric Big 10, with a higher per-game rushing offense than Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Penn State, and just a yard behind the conservative ball control offense of Iowa. Nebraska's 4.7 yard per carry rushing average was perfectly decent, reflecting a sane diversity of play calls.

Interesting to see Coach Power T invoke Shawn Watson, who was often criticized on this same board for being too cute and never running the ball enough.

If the defense holds up its end of the bargain and if Tommy makes better decisions both running and passing, I think run game will evolve nicely.

His run scheme's were good I always thought. I thought his decision making/play calling was suspect. However I liked the scheme of what Watson was doing.

Agreed. Watson's 2010 offense was fun, creative, and deadly until Taylor got hurt.

I thought that Watson did a good job of designing runs and blocking schemes for the RB run game. Some of the traps and pulls that he used against Missouri when Helu set the single game run game record was awesome. Watson also ran the 98G trap over and over in the 62-36 beating of CU over NU in '01.

I think Watson struggled with how to use Taylor consistently in the run game. The QB run game wasn't Watson's strength. It was Taylor's talent and pure speed than enabled him to find creases and break off huge runs.

 

[Landlord]

I don't disagree with that. Remember, 2010 was the unveiling of a 3 year research project by Watson and Bo on morphing into a zone-read offense, and they weren't legends at it by any means. I still think he got a bad wrap for his time here, however.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

I don't disagree with that. Remember, 2010 was the unveiling of a 3 year research project by Watson and Bo on morphing into a zone-read offense, and they weren't legends at it by any means. I still think he got a bad wrap for his time here, however.

Watson wanted to go all-in on the zone read, but he waited until he had a month to prepare for the Holiday Bowl to unveil it. Nebraska was up against a highly respected defense in Arizona, and the zone-read worked extremely well with the limited Zac Lee at the helm. The next season, Watson realized Taylor Martinez could get 50 yards on the same plays Zac Lee was getting 5, and it was game on.

Tim Beck ran essentially the same offense, but caught pretty much the same grief for it.

Martinez and Armstrong were as exciting as they were maddening.

Turnovers, penalties, defense and discipline have long seemed the bigger problem than offensive play-calling.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

We ran as much as we passed, and were right in the middle of the run-centric Big 10, with a higher per-game rushing offense than Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Penn State, and just a yard behind the conservative ball control offense of Iowa. Nebraska's 4.7 yard per carry rushing average was perfectly decent, reflecting a sane diversity of play calls.

Careful. You're creating a pretty good argument against your own assertion that we shouldn't expect to be able to run the ball like we did against UCLA.

Well it's a pretty simple argument that we will be able to run more successfully against poor rushing defenses than better rushing defenses.

 

[Enhance]

One thing every fan should be careful of is the UCLA performance and how that may or may not translate to 2016. UCLA was not very good in the front seven.

Yes and no. UCLA was not very good. But there were other teams that weren't very good that we didn't really try to run on. And there were teams that were pretty good at run defense (Michigan State) that we had pretty good success running the ball against.

I'm not saying we should run the ball 80% of the time every game. But people continually trying to shrug off the results of the UCLA game aren't really looking at the whole picture.

That's why I said 'may or may not,' so I'm not sure if you're referencing me or just speaking in general terms. Nebraska's rushing attack in 2015 was inconsistent if we look at the whole picture. The UCLA game can't be shrugged off, or similarly, anointed to whatever the equivalent positive measure is of "shrugging off."

That said, I do ultimately believe this upcoming season will be relatively similar to 2015 in terms of run/pass splits.

 

[ZRod]

I think we will run more and run better, but let's put to rest this trope that we ran the ball straight into the line a few times, then gave up and flung the ball all over the place.

We ran as much as we passed, and were right in the middle of the run-centric Big 10, with a higher per-game rushing offense than Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Penn State, and just a yard behind the conservative ball control offense of Iowa. Nebraska's 4.7 yard per carry rushing average was perfectly decent, reflecting a sane diversity of play calls.

Interesting to see Coach Power T invoke Shawn Watson, who was often criticized on this same board for being too cute and never running the ball enough.

If the defense holds up its end of the bargain and if Tommy makes better decisions both running and passing, I think run game will evolve nicely.

His run scheme's were good I always thought. I thought his decision making/play calling was suspect. However I liked the scheme of what Watson was doing.

I can say the exact same thing with Beck. I really, really liked his scheme and how he was setting up plays towards the end of his tenure here. I loved that we pulled guards on pass plays to give a complete play fake, and that we set up naked boot legs and other misdirection. For all the flack he got for his mutt offense it was usually humming along until the D put us in a bad position and he felt he needed to compensate.

 

[RedRedJarvisRedwine]

I think we should pass to open up the run. But that's probably just me.

 

[Scratchtown]

I think we will run more and run better, but let's put to rest this trope that we ran the ball straight into the line a few times, then gave up and flung the ball all over the place.

We ran as much as we passed, and were right in the middle of the run-centric Big 10, with a higher per-game rushing offense than Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Penn State, and just a yard behind the conservative ball control offense of Iowa. Nebraska's 4.7 yard per carry rushing average was perfectly decent, reflecting a sane diversity of play calls.

Interesting to see Coach Power T invoke Shawn Watson, who was often criticized on this same board for being too cute and never running the ball enough.

If the defense holds up its end of the bargain and if Tommy makes better decisions both running and passing, I think run game will evolve nicely.

His run scheme's were good I always thought. I thought his decision making/play calling was suspect. However I liked the scheme of what Watson was doing.

I can say the exact same thing with Beck. I really, really liked his scheme and how he was setting up plays towards the end of his tenure here. I loved that we pulled guards on pass plays to give a complete play fake, and that we set up naked boot legs and other misdirection. For all the flack he got for his mutt offense it was usually humming along until the D put us in a bad position and he felt he needed to compensate.

That's fair.

 

[Scratchtown]

I think we should pass to open up the run. But that's probably just me.

I've always felt a little odd by this, because to me it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. You know the "pass to loosen them up.". Who are you loosening up? Not the DB's.....they have to respect the passing game.

The only part of the defense that you will loosen up with a passing game is the LB's (in my opinion). That's by attacking the middle of the field in your pass concepts. Especially if the defense you are attacking struggles a bit at the safety position.

So my point, is that you have to be very specific in how you attack a defense in the passing game in order to help the running game. Throwing 5-8 yard hooks and comebacks aren't going to open up anything. (Again, my philosophical opinion)

 

[GBRFAN]

I think our play calling needs to be looked at more by what did the other team try to take away from us and not so much on what was their season averages.

Purdue was not a good run defense team based on stats, however if you put 9 in the box and try to force an inexperienced QB to beat you in the air - you might just get some turnovers.

Michigan State might have come with the game plan that we had some weapons at WR and they wanted to contain those guys thinking that if they gave us a few more run yards and avoided big play they could still get the W - We instead were still able to create some big plays and got the W.

I know a lot of you guys have more football knowledge then myself, i just wonder if we are not giving our coaches enough credit based on what they saw from above during the early parts of these games.

 

[Elf]

I think we should pass to open up the run. But that's probably just me.

I've always felt a little odd by this, because to me it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. You know the "pass to loosen them up.". Who are you loosening up? Not the DB's.....they have to respect the passing game.
The only part of the defense that you will loosen up with a passing game is the LB's (in my opinion). That's by attacking the middle of the field in your pass concepts. Especially if the defense you are attacking struggles a bit at the safety position.

So my point, is that you have to be very specific in how you attack a defense in the passing game in order to help the running game. Throwing 5-8 yard hooks and comebacks aren't going to open up anything. (Again, my philosophical opinion)

When the opposing team is stacking the box the easiest and best way to beat that is to throw the ball and force the defense to be honest. If you have a credible passing game opposing defenses won't stack the box to begin with. This is another way the passing game helps the run game.

 

[MichiganDad3]

I think we will run more and run better, but let's put to rest this trope that we ran the ball straight into the line a few times, then gave up and flung the ball all over the place.

We ran as much as we passed, and were right in the middle of the run-centric Big 10, with a higher per-game rushing offense than Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Penn State, and just a yard behind the conservative ball control offense of Iowa. Nebraska's 4.7 yard per carry rushing average was perfectly decent, reflecting a sane diversity of play calls.

Interesting to see Coach Power T invoke Shawn Watson, who was often criticized on this same board for being too cute and never running the ball enough.

If the defense holds up its end of the bargain and if Tommy makes better decisions both running and passing, I think run game will evolve nicely.

His run scheme's were good I always thought. I thought his decision making/play calling was suspect. However I liked the scheme of what Watson was doing.

Agreed. Watson's 2010 offense was fun, creative, and deadly until Taylor got hurt.

I thought that Watson did a good job of designing runs and blocking schemes for the RB run game. Some of the traps and pulls that he used against Missouri when Helu set the single game run game record was awesome. Watson also ran the 98G trap over and over in the 62-36 beating of CU over NU in '01.

I think Watson struggled with how to use Taylor consistently in the run game. The QB run game wasn't Watson's strength. It was Taylor's talent and pure speed than enabled him to find creases and break off huge runs.

I always thought Watson was a genius at reviewing film and designing a game plan. IMO, he was below average at making adjustments during the game. I would have liked to keep him as OC, but let someone else call plays.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

I think we will run more and run better, but let's put to rest this trope that we ran the ball straight into the line a few times, then gave up and flung the ball all over the place.

We ran as much as we passed, and were right in the middle of the run-centric Big 10, with a higher per-game rushing offense than Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Penn State, and just a yard behind the conservative ball control offense of Iowa. Nebraska's 4.7 yard per carry rushing average was perfectly decent, reflecting a sane diversity of play calls.

Interesting to see Coach Power T invoke Shawn Watson, who was often criticized on this same board for being too cute and never running the ball enough.

If the defense holds up its end of the bargain and if Tommy makes better decisions both running and passing, I think run game will evolve nicely.

His run scheme's were good I always thought. I thought his decision making/play calling was suspect. However I liked the scheme of what Watson was doing.

Agreed. Watson's 2010 offense was fun, creative, and deadly until Taylor got hurt.

I thought that Watson did a good job of designing runs and blocking schemes for the RB run game. Some of the traps and pulls that he used against Missouri when Helu set the single game run game record was awesome. Watson also ran the 98G trap over and over in the 62-36 beating of CU over NU in '01.

I think Watson struggled with how to use Taylor consistently in the run game. The QB run game wasn't Watson's strength. It was Taylor's talent and pure speed than enabled him to find creases and break off huge runs.

I always thought Watson was a genius at reviewing film and designing a game plan. IMO, he was below average at making adjustments during the game. I would have liked to keep him as OC, but let someone else call plays.

OC's who "script" the first 15 plays or quarter of the game can typically find success that way. The best OC's are able to figure out how a defense will respond and then call plays to counteract that. The average-poor OC's aren't able to make those in-game adjustments.