Michigan players: Nebraska gave up 'after the first series'

[Hedley Lamarr]

That is 100% true.  

I think I said this yesterday: That is why, as a condition to accepting the HC position, he wanted a guaranteed five years because he knew just how dire the situation was.  But, being a professional, he didn't want to say publically what he really thought--which I do not blame him at all.

So yeah...I still don't think the season is lost, but yeah....Nebraska (as a program) has a far steeper mountain to climb than I previously wanted to believe.

Coach Frost is the right guy and he will get us where we want to be.  We're just going to have to our lumps along the way.

I am wondering what our OL looks like next season, Tackles will stay the same most likely, your Guards will be Desmond Bland and B. Wilson and probably Raridon at C? Wonder if we are going to proactively look for an few additional JUCO OL at this point. 

 

[Making Chimichangas]

I am wondering what our OL looks like next season, Tackles will stay the same most likely, your Guards will be Desmond Bland and B. Wilson and probably Raridon at C? Wonder if we are going to proactively look for an few additional JUCO OL at this point. 

Your guess is as good as mine.  What I think we both agree on is that our current starters along the OL, and possibly even some other positions, need to see the bench.  As to what Frost will actually do?  :dunno

There was a post that hinted at, or said, that an exodus (of potentially many) players was coming soon.  Been trying to find it but haven't yet.

To be honest, I kinda blacked out about sometime after 10pm and well, my memory is a bit hazy right now.

 

[Hunter94]

If we bench these guys and they are the best we have, even playing half assed, what chance do we have of winning a game?  This is a tough spot for Frost, he is damned both ways.

 

[Scratchtown]

It's going to be hard to recover the season. It likely won't due to these kids last 3 years in the program. 

They needed to win that Colorado game to get the ball rolling. It's like this in HS and in college. The kids who have been losing, as soon as it gets bad the demeanor turns into that of a whipped puppy. Tails between the legs, etc....

It's literally the worst possible start to the Frost Era and that's not because of 0-3, it's because now the buy in is questioned. 

These kids don't know anything but how to lose.

 

[junior4949]

This is a four to five year rebuild.  I knew this when Frost was hired.  However, I'm seeing something I never thought I'd see.  Our best played game thus far was against CU which was also our first game.  Our worst played game thus far was against Michigan which was our last game.  I really thought we'd get better as the season progressed.  There is still plenty of time for this to happen, but thus far it's not happening.  Is there any way our OL play could possibly get any worse?  What really is dumbfounding about all of this is how great I've been told practices were leading up to this game.  If practices are really going that well, why isn't this translating to better play during the games? 

 

[Husker03]

This is a four to five year rebuild.  I knew this when Frost was hired.  However, I'm seeing something I never thought I'd see.  Our best played game thus far was against CU which was also our first game.  Our worst played game thus far was against Michigan which was our last game.  I really thought we'd get better as the season progressed.  There is still plenty of time for this to happen, but thus far it's not happening.  Is there any way our OL play could possibly get any worse?  What really is dumbfounding about all of this is how great I've been told practices were leading up to this game.  If practices are really going that well, why isn't this translating to better play during the games? 

Because you are just practicing against the same culture and talent.  It isn’t until they get out there against players that are heads and tails more dominant than them that they crap thier pants when they see it.  So they can either take that, admit they are poor at this time and aim toward improving toward that level. Or they can make excuses, try to take shortcuts, continue to half a$$ it, look slightly better against the Purdue’s of the world, convince themselves it’s not really that bad, and the find themselves wearing the same poop stained pants on the field Wisconsin week. 

 

[Landlord]

I was pissed yesterday but once you start thinking about what this team was last year, the culture we know Riley established of no accountability and more or less a shucks we lost mentality it isnt surprising where we are and how far we have to go to become respectable again. 

Again, just so I know what is or isn't acceptable, we're cool with using the same defenses with Frost that we used in Riley's first year?

 

[TheSker]

Again, just so I know what is or isn't acceptable, we're cool with using the same defenses with Frost that we used in Riley's first year?

Many coaches use the same or similar schemes.

The results come from personnel and execution.

 

[LumberJackSker]

I am wondering what our OL looks like next season, Tackles will stay the same most likely, your Guards will be Desmond Bland and B. Wilson and probably Raridon at C? Wonder if we are going to proactively look for an few additional JUCO OL at this point. 

Not sure about raridon since there's walkons ahead of him but the rest look accurate.

 

[Husker03]

Watched the replay, will disagree with this sentiment. Most of the defense did not give up the first half. A few slackers, (looking at you, D Young), but no wholesale towel throwing in. The o-line gave up all game but that’s nothing new. Outside of that, they had played hard and had chances to get things back under control until several of the killer mistakes and breakdowns,(Lindsey’s muff) allow things to get so out of control so quick that even the coaches phone it in after half. 

 

[TonyStalloni]

Watched the replay, will disagree with this sentiment. Most of the defense did not give up the first half. A few slackers, (looking at you, D Young), but no wholesale towel throwing in. The o-line gave up all game but that’s nothing new. Outside of that, they had played hard and had chances to get things back under control until several of the killer mistakes and breakdowns,(Lindsey’s muff) allow things to get so out of control so quick that even the coaches phone it in after half. 

I agree on not seeing the D give up after the interception.  Yes they were punched in the mouth a couple times early and staggered a bit but by the 2nd quarter I saw nearly everyone trying.  They got a couple of stops before halftime.  On offense either Michigan studied film for weeks or they were stealing signals because they knew exactly the play we were going to run nearly every time. 

 

[Jeepy]

Watched the replay, will disagree with this sentiment. Most of the defense did not give up the first half. A few slackers, (looking at you, D Young), but no wholesale towel throwing in. The o-line gave up all game but that’s nothing new. Outside of that, they had played hard and had chances to get things back under control until several of the killer mistakes and breakdowns,(Lindsey’s muff) allow things to get so out of control so quick that even the coaches phone it in after half. 

I have not watched a replay of the game yet.  Just clips and they bear out the lack of spot on play needed to compete, especially as you say:  the pathetic O-line.

Many of us exaggerate when we're pissed off and hurt as Husker fans.  Almost all of us.  It's all so "off" from what we used to see out there before Dr. Tom left.  So, yeah we blow our stack and we even see it a bit distorted to the negative.   Thing is, we know we deserve better. 

 

[Kernal]

Watched the replay, will disagree with this sentiment. Most of the defense did not give up the first half. A few slackers, (looking at you, D Young), but no wholesale towel throwing in. The o-line gave up all game but that’s nothing new. Outside of that, they had played hard and had chances to get things back under control until several of the killer mistakes and breakdowns,(Lindsey’s muff) allow things to get so out of control so quick that even the coaches phone it in after half. 

This Michigan player was playing defense, so he was playing against the offense.  Probably safe to assume he was primarily referring to the offense. 

 

[Kernal]

We've been seeing these collapses for a long time now.  Yesterday's reminded me of the game against Wisconsin where Melvin Gordon set the single game rushing record against "defensive genius" Pelini's 2014 team.  It also reminded me of the 62-3 beating Riley's 2016 team took against OSU and Callahan's 2007 beating at the hands of Okie State.

If this were simply a talent issue we wouldn't have lost to Troy, nor would we have looked worse than SMU against Michigan.  I agree 100% with what this Michigan player said in the clip: Players looked like they didn't want to be there.

This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone watching the game; it was OBVIOUS in the way many of them were playing.

We could try to figure out why that is, and people have been trying to figure that out for a long time.  Most people seem to come to the conclusion it's something called "culture," but that's about as far as it ever gets.  Nobody seems to know how to change it, or at least, nobody in charge seems to be willing or able to change it.  I suppose the NU Athletics Department is too concerned with their precious sell-out streak and all the other meaningless crap they churn out every week trying to keep the money rolling in to risk change.  You see this all the time when the accountants (shareholders, etc.,) rather than experts start running businesses.  But I digress.

To me, I would stop trying to figure out why guys aren't playing hard (i.e. acting like they don't want to be there).  I would demote every player who "gave up" against Michigan and I would keep trying different players until I had 22 that were going to sell out on every snap, every week.  If that meant 22 fourth-string walk-ons, then that's who I'd play.  Those other guys can figure out why they weren't playing hard on their own time.  If they later become willing to consistently play like they're capable I would consider putting them back into the lineup. 

If that means we lose every game this year so be it.  I would be inviting those on scholarship who didn't see the light to transfer at the end of the school year and I'd put a lot of energy into recruiting replacements.  Eventually, you'll have a team full of guys who are willing to sell-out on every play.  Only then will things like S&C, scheme, talent deficiencies become an issue worth addressing. 

Until we have 11 guys on the field going 100%, every week, nothing is even going to begin to change.

 

[Making Chimichangas]

If we bench these guys and they are the best we have, even playing half assed, what chance do we have of winning a game?  This is a tough spot for Frost, he is damned both ways.

There is no doubt you are correct.  However, I think push comes to shove, bench the older players and just take your lumps with the younger players who have bought-in.  I mean what's realistically the difference between losing 56-10 vs 62-10?  A butt kicking is still a butt kicking.  I guess what I am saying is: we're probably going to lose anyway, so we might as well play the younger players and build for the future.  And I realize that sounds like writing the season off as if it is lost, and maybe it is.  All I know is Coach Frost has to do something to get through to these players that poor play and half-assed effort is unacceptable.