Nebraska turnovers suggest deeper issues

Abdullah the Butcher

Abdullah the Butcher

Banned
http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/blogpost?blogname=bigten&id=89646

Since 2008, under coach Bo Pelini, Nebraska is 104th nationally in turnover margin at minus-28.

Over that same time, Nebraska has won 55 of 78 games for the 19th-best winning percentage among FBS teams.

Among the top-26 in winning percentage, only the Huskers own a negative turnover margin.

The average margin for the 10-most-winning-teams is plus-53 during that time. Again, Nebraska is minus-28.

That sticks out like a Big Red thumb.

 
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It is absolutely amazing if you think back over the last 10 - 15 years how many major games we lost because of turnovers. It is extremely frustrating.

 
That data stuns me. When it comes to protecting the ball and penalties year after year, I'm floored.

 
It's hard to tell but it's entirely possible that our turnover issues have more to do with a couple specific players than in the system as a whole. Martinez was obviously very bad at holding onto the ball and could throw INTs in bunches. He also hadn't played a lot of QB coming out of high school but started here for four years. That's a lot of times handling the ball for someone with probably as little experience as any starting QB at any BCS school. AA isn't nearly as bad but isn't great at holding onto the ball either. He's also played since he was a true freshman. And now TA - starting as a freshman - has a long ways to go as a passer and has fumbled a few times as well. So, in the last four years, we've had a freshman or sophomore QB for three of those years and a freshman RB who got quite a few carries and a sophomore RB carrying the load. Not that freshmen can't make good decisions or hold onto the ball, but they don't have everything figured out either. You can possibly throw Cross in there as well as he's had a couple fumbles but he's also only a sophomore.

On the other side, Helu didn't really have fumble problems (iirc), and Burkhead almost never fumbled. Other players have fumbled here and there but really haven't gotten enough chances to know much about the overall trend.

As I said, it's a little tough for me to know what to think.

 
Niles Paul + Taylor Martinez + AA + Quincy + Armstrong + Punt Returns. Those are the vast majority of them. Martinez and Abdullah had 27 turnovers combined last season.

 
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I've stated this is various posts about turnovers ... where are the consequences for these slights in taking care of the ball? How many miles do these guys run? How many sprints? How many bleachers?

I can't recall any action ever taken toward a player for this types of things. Can anyone confirm any consequence given in the past 5 years? ... other then ... "We need to clean up those mistakes ... and we will. We will be fine. The kids played hard."

 
finlay22 said:
Niles Paul + Taylor Martinez + AA + Quincy + Armstrong + Punt Returns. Those are the vast majority of them. Martinez and Abdullah had 27 turnovers combined last season.
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If it was a familiar trend, maybe those other top teams would keep from putting the ball in those players hands?? I don't know
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HeyBakerMark said:
I've stated this is various posts about turnovers ... where are the consequences for these slights in taking care of the ball? How many miles do these guys run? How many sprints? How many bleachers?

I can't recall any action ever taken toward a player for this types of things. Can anyone confirm any consequence given in the past 5 years? ... other then ... "We need to clean up those mistakes ... and we will. We will be fine. The kids played hard."
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Google "pencil rolls" from last year. The guys got punished. It, apparently, didn't take.

 
knapplc said:
HeyBakerMark said:
I've stated this is various posts about turnovers ... where are the consequences for these slights in taking care of the ball? How many miles do these guys run? How many sprints? How many bleachers?

I can't recall any action ever taken toward a player for this types of things. Can anyone confirm any consequence given in the past 5 years? ... other then ... "We need to clean up those mistakes ... and we will. We will be fine. The kids played hard."
Click to expand...
Google "pencil rolls" from last year. The guys got punished. It, apparently, didn't take.
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Or look up the videos from spring drills. Every time a RB dropped the ball the whole unit had to do pushups.

 
HeyBakerMark said:
I've stated this is various posts about turnovers ... where are the consequences for these slights in taking care of the ball? How many miles do these guys run? How many sprints? How many bleachers?

I can't recall any action ever taken toward a player for this types of things. Can anyone confirm any consequence given in the past 5 years? ... other then ... "We need to clean up those mistakes ... and we will. We will be fine. The kids played hard."
Click to expand...

Only thing I can recall was in the off-season or fall practice, they would enforce push ups for fumbles... Believe it was Coach Brown speaking on the matter. Obviously they should re-evaluate.

 
Or how about, if it becomes a consistent problem that cannot be corrected with the player, which coincides with losing games, then the head coach makes a coaching decision and plays someone else? I don't know. Maybe the next player up has a little less talent, a little less experience, but is talented enough and more importantly, takes care of the ball and doesn't turn it over. Just an idea for a solution if there is a problem. Kind of like fixing something. Nothing more.

 
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The special teams are the ones that have me baffled. I forget where I read it, but it made sense, it's like they're still afraid of that fake ISU ran in 09 so there's zero pressure, and now catching the punt is a coin flip.

And there are few things worse in football than a muffed punt turnover.

 
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