LJS: State of the Huskers - Offensive Line

[GBRFAN]

The problem with NOT rotating linemen or alternating individuals regularly is you end up in the place in the program we are at now. It began with Solich as the recruiting deteriorated, the depth disappeared. After about 5 years, the young guys were simply no longer good number 2s and were at best mediocre number 4s. We couldn't play them as the drop off was just too much and the games could never be securely put away in the win column until late in the fourth quarter. The lack of playing time for the back ups contributes to the decline as player development is stunted. You must put your 2nd and 3rd string guys in for realistic game action vs good competition so they can gain extremely valuable experience and the recognition of what it takes to play at championship level.

We won't play championship level football on a consistant basis until we have a second string good enough to compete with the teams we play week after week. The drop off to the third string can't be as much as the opponent's drop off to second string. Our thirds have to be learning as Freshmen and sophomores so they are ready to ones and twos as juniors and seniors. Game experience is quite valuable and critical to long term program strength.

If I recall correctly, Bill Snyder began his time at K State by a massive red shirt strategy of taking his better sophs and juniors and red shirting them rather than playing them. Alowing him the opportunity to play the young guys and back up seniors who were either not ready or never would be ready to compete at a winning level. He sacrificed in the short term (by losing more games in years one and two) to build more depth and experience and thereby allow the players to feel the effects of winning and success later on. It somewhat worked. Unfortunately, the fans in Lincoln are not nearly patient enough to view a couple sacrificial seasons in order to rebuild the program. As a result, for over a decade, Nebraska has been rebuilding instead of reloading. We must return to reloading. Play the younger guys or redshirt them. We must accumulate quality over time. Graduation and leaving early for the NFL is really our enemy at this point.

I agree with a lot of what you're saying, however, I do think the idea that we need a second string good enough to compete with teams week after week is an antiquated ideology, which is basically what I was getting at in post #33. We need better recruits that pan out first and foremost to create a strong line of starters, and getting to that point will help us build depth. IMHO depth is only built when your starters are up to snuff. I also think that scholarship limits, and other changes college football has seen in the last two decades, makes it more difficult to build that quality line of backups.

There's really only one program in the country right now capable of seemingly reloading every year and that's 'Bama. Same with USC in the 2000's and Nebraska in the 90's. I think, right now at least, being like 'Bama is an unrealistic goal.

^This is a great post in many ways. Who cares if your second string is the best 2nd string in the nation or Big Ten - if your first string isn't the best. Lets get one group up to being the best in the Big Ten and then start to think about depth.

 

[Spooky Tooth]

Coach Cav probably never thought about rotating linemen at Oregon State, because they didn't have the ability to recruit quality linemen who could play regularly at a young age. There was probably a large gap between their older linemen and their younger guys, so Cav got used to playing a select few almost every snap.

Now Cav is at NU, where he should be able to have more quality depth at o-line and shouldn't have a drop off in talent with the backups. Yet, Cav is still coaching how he did at Oregon State. He's not changing with his improved situation at NU. This is lazy coaching.

Did rotating offensive lineman help the last regime?

I thought the o-line under the former regime had plusses and minuses. It definitely wasn't as consistent as we all would have liked.

My point on Cav is that the old line of "Well, this is how I have always coached linemen" gets old.

TBF, Cav's outlook on rotation is not unusual. Brendan Stai saw it both ways in the pros, both with lots of rotation and with minimal rotation, and he found advantages and disadvantages in both ways of doing things. Personally I would like to see more rotation but the way Cav is doing it is not uncommon in the pros.

 

[Spooky Tooth]

There are a lot of teams that do not rotate. Many posters would love to have Stanford's offense and yet, they don't rotate their line. They get backups playing time by bringing them in as extra blockers in their "Heavy" package.

I think this is getting blown out of proportion and is just something to complain about by some.

This

Yup. Not all dissenters are being seminar trolls but some are cuz it's just how they roll. It would kill them to say something flattering about the current staff without a snarky caveat attached to it.

 

[GSG]

Riley open to more rotation along O-line

It was an ongoing topic among Nebraska football fans last season.

NU offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh was asked about it more than a few times.

Why doesn't Nebraska alternate offensive linemen more often?

Husker head coach Mike Riley said this week that the staff has discussed rotating linemen more often during the upcoming season.

"What we try to look at, in general, is who is ready to play in the games?" Riley said.

 

[Mavric]

"Now, what we have done in the last year is talk more about that," Riley said. "We might get to the point where we feel more comfortable with a rotation."

This is kind of why I'm in a believe-it-when-I-see-it about our running game. Cav has said repeatedly that he doesn't like to rotate. Now Riley said they've "talk"ed about it more in the last year "might get to a point" where they rotate more.

If that's not coach speak for saying whatever he thinks the interviewer wants to hear, I don't know what is.

Riley seems to be good with the media. But most of what we get is pretty blah. There seems to be a disconnect between what he says and what actually happens. Perhaps that will change going forward. But for now it seems like it's just his way of having to avoid giving a real answer. Or an answer that he doesn't think people will like.