LJS: Numbers Show How Much Husker Offense Struggled

[84HuskerLaw]

To be fair to all concerned, I think the offensive woes were a true combination of the factors cited by many on here. When Tommy Armstrong played his best games, the offense did better, even with a number of injured guys from elsewhere in the offensive starters. But in general, the absolute lack of depth and injuries which exposed that lack of depth glaringly in the second half of the season, you can't blame Tommy. We still won 9 games and I think one can safely say we deserved to win those games (none were flukes or sheer luck). We came dam close to winning a 10th.

Injuries to far too many starters meant we played our last 5 games with perhaps the worst offensive line in the conference. However, this is not to excuse the coaches (past and present) in this regard as there is NO EXCUSE for having NO BACKUPS to fill in reasonably in the absence of injureds. This applies to QB s, O linemen, TE s, RB s, WR s, punters, DTs, etc etc. We absolutely should have two excellent players at each and every position on the team, each and every season.

Clearly we don't have one at each position. Best evidence of this will be: the number of all conference honorees. We should have no less than 8 that receive some kind of all conference recognition (1st, 2nd or 3rd teamers) and another half dozen that should be mentioned as players that 'wouda, coulda, shoulda' in that regard. Instead, it appears we may not even have any on first or second team. A 4 year QB starter not even mentioned? That says a lot! It is not just our opinion that we lack serious talent. Is the cupboard bare? We maybe not bare but it sure is low on stock

Excellent recruits should be jumping at coming to Lincoln as the opportunity to play right away is WIDE OPEN across every position!

 

[JJ Husker]

I have said after the first 5 games, when faced with a more (INSERT ADJECTIVE HERE) defense, Langs really had no answer. His go to running play was always inside into the heart of the stout B1G defensive lines. Little to no misdirection, counters, traps, we saw the dump pass one game (his best IMHO) against Maryland when he actually dialed up a game plan to get Maryland out of the box. He used multiple sets, motions, formations, swing passes, screens, dump passes etc to open up the field and force an underperforming Maryland to go sideline to sideline. That was the first and last time we saw that. Earlier games, it was simply our "depth" and "better athletes" that allowed us to wear teams down and look so good in the 4th......

Injuries are excuses, Every team has them. Some one goes down and we can't perform? Development, depth, coaching etc.....Thats not on the kids.....Recruitment, developing depth, preparing kids....... We went in against Iowa with no idea what to do at QB or in play calling and it was painfully obvious.

If we don't find a way to get 10 earthmover on the OL, another 8 on the DL, we will continue to see this craptastic performance regardless of QB, DC or OC...... At least other coordinators, can call to the strengths of their teams and find a way to minimize their exposure. Langs hasn't shown me this. Banker, after losing our entire DL to the draft or attrition, isn't in the same position as Langs for me...

This was a weak schedule, against weak opponents and we didn't do to well offensively..... We won 9 games which is good, but suffered two blowouts and scored our two lowest point totals since joining the B1G....... Last years losses were on the coaches with poor clock management and poor play calling. They showed (Riley) that he could learn from that and this was the difference in the win column IMHO.

This is right on the mark.

I've got maybe a little different take on the Maryland game though. In The Deed alluded to this but, of course it was Maryland and not some powerhouse but I'm not sure how much of it was actual "game planning" by Langsdorf rather than shear dumb luck that we had a QB in there capable of making the throws Langs wants to see. I can't fault Langs for things working out the way he wants them to but, if that was the case, why haven't we been going with Fyfe when TA clearly does not throw screens and bubbles and so many of the passes well? If it was truly "game planning" acumen, then we would have seen different game plans for Tommy's Capabilities (the Iowa game comes to mind) or a different QB in those other games. But, like I said, maybe it was just dumb luck that Maryland and Fyfe happened to coincide. If we played Maryland 12 times, all the coaches would be genius' and all the players would be world beaters.

 

[hskrfan4life]

If you don't have a top 25 offense you better have a top 10 defense

Yea but you'll still lose 4 games.

 

[MichiganDad3]

You know what this makes me wonder...second time through the conference with Riley as coach...I wonder how many Big Ten coaches have started to figure out what NU does?

I know they can go back and look at old film from his Beaver days...but it is a little bit different when you get into conference play and really start to know each other.

I was thinking the same thing. Bo's defenses were fantastic, and then other coaches adjusted (maybe it was the loss of Carl and Marvin).

 

[Nebfanatic]

A pared down pro style playbook is not going to work over the course of the season. We will see better results with a full playbook and players that have more chemistry with OCDL. Not to mention offensive line play should improve. If the offense doesn't get better next year or somehow regresses though that is grounds for termination when it comes to Langs

 

[JJ Husker]

You know what this makes me wonder...second time through the conference with Riley as coach...I wonder how many Big Ten coaches have started to figure out what NU does?

I know they can go back and look at old film from his Beaver days...but it is a little bit different when you get into conference play and really start to know each other.

I was thinking the same thing. Bo's defenses were fantastic, and then other coaches adjusted (maybe it was the loss of Carl and Marvin).

Or maybe it was the loss of Suh.....

I have trouble claiming his defenses were fantastic except when he had once in a lifetime talent that would make any coach look like a D guru.

 

[Mierin]

That helps substantiate to me why I'm not a fan of Langs. Like I said before, I'm willing to give him next season with a QB that'll fit what he and Riley want to do on offense more, but if we stink it up again on offense. He better be gone at the end of that season. There will be enough to get rid of him at that point IMO.

IMO Langs deserves 2 years with the same QB (that fits his system).

 

[admo]

You know what this makes me wonder...second time through the conference with Riley as coach...I wonder how many Big Ten coaches have started to figure out what NU does?

I know they can go back and look at old film from his Beaver days...but it is a little bit different when you get into conference play and really start to know each other.

Sadly, the run game was predictable making it easier to defend.

And that was half the offense. I could easily go into a rant but I just Mav do it for me.

 

[GBRFAN]

You know what this makes me wonder...second time through the conference with Riley as coach...I wonder how many Big Ten coaches have started to figure out what NU does?

I know they can go back and look at old film from his Beaver days...but it is a little bit different when you get into conference play and really start to know each other.

I was thinking the same thing. Bo's defenses were fantastic, and then other coaches adjusted (maybe it was the loss of Carl and Marvin).

I feel BP had a defense that was good if the first read was correct. When teams started disguising what they were doing and running more motion then NU D started to struggle.

 

[In the Deed the Glory]

You know what this makes me wonder...second time through the conference with Riley as coach...I wonder how many Big Ten coaches have started to figure out what NU does?

I know they can go back and look at old film from his Beaver days...but it is a little bit different when you get into conference play and really start to know each other.

I was thinking the same thing. Bo's defenses were fantastic, and then other coaches adjusted (maybe it was the loss of Carl and Marvin).

Or maybe it was the loss of Suh.....

I have trouble claiming his defenses were fantastic except when he had once in a lifetime talent that would make any coach look like a D guru.

2010 was pretty damn good as well.

 

[Mierin]

You know what this makes me wonder...second time through the conference with Riley as coach...I wonder how many Big Ten coaches have started to figure out what NU does?

I know they can go back and look at old film from his Beaver days...but it is a little bit different when you get into conference play and really start to know each other.

I was thinking the same thing. Bo's defenses were fantastic, and then other coaches adjusted (maybe it was the loss of Carl and Marvin).

Or maybe it was the loss of Suh.....

I have trouble claiming his defenses were fantastic except when he had once in a lifetime talent that would make any coach look like a D guru.

2010 was pretty damn good as well.

Lavonte David

 

[ColoradoHusk]

You know what this makes me wonder...second time through the conference with Riley as coach...I wonder how many Big Ten coaches have started to figure out what NU does?

I know they can go back and look at old film from his Beaver days...but it is a little bit different when you get into conference play and really start to know each other.

I was thinking the same thing. Bo's defenses were fantastic, and then other coaches adjusted (maybe it was the loss of Carl and Marvin).

Or maybe it was the loss of Suh.....I have trouble claiming his defenses were fantastic except when he had once in a lifetime talent that would make any coach look like a D guru.

2010 was pretty damn good as well.

Lavonte David

The 2010 defense had a number of guys besides David. Crick, Amukamara, Hagg, Gomes, and Dennard all played in the NFL.

 

[huskerfan74]

I really do not understand why we keep harping on the same exact points. It is simple, OUR CURRENT COACHES are AVERAGE COACHES at BEST. Expecting these coaches to turn things around like other winning coaches is like expecting a BULL to PRODUCE MILK. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN. We lost every game that mattered and we barely won the other games, other than the garbage games at the beginning. Our offense was very predictable all year long and we depended on TA throwing it deep and hoping that Westy and Brandon Reilly made remarkable catches. That was the entirety of our play book other than running straight into ten guys. We can beat the weak teams but we can't compete against the teams that have a pulse. The results are that we are not ranked at 9-3 which shows you what people really think of this team.

I love my HUSKERS and I will never stop wanting them to get back to competing for championships but these coaches are not the ones to take us there. It is very obvious and giving them two more years is only prolonging the agony. Seeing the BIG 10 Championship flags tonight and how Wisconsin and Michigan State won two a piece, makes me wonder when we will actually win a conference championship. It has been more than 16 years already. We can only hope for a Miracle next year with our best players gone. I can already hear next year's excuse:

"We have a young team and the QB needs to develop. Next year, we will be better."

 

[cornstar]

You know what this makes me wonder...second time through the conference with Riley as coach...I wonder how many Big Ten coaches have started to figure out what NU does?

I know they can go back and look at old film from his Beaver days...but it is a little bit different when you get into conference play and really start to know each other.

I believe his DC at one point talked about a team having a Daffy Duck offense. If your go to plays are WR screens and the jet sweep, quite honestly your offense is a Daffy Duck garbage offense which will set this program back. The longer this garbage is implemented, the longer it will take to get back to winning the West on a consistent basis.
It's cute for Oregon State, but it will never be successful at Nebraska.