NU and the Red Zone

[Hilltop]

It’s not negative crap.  It’s data that shows we have some serious issues and have for 4 years.  We are 5-15 in games closer than one score.  Have yet to win an OT game under Frost.  Taking emotions and “cherry picking”  there is nothing 4 years of data that shows we can make those few plays to be ranked.  And that’s concerning.  We have 20 games by one score or less and have one 25%.  Even if we were average, we’d have won 5 more......It is the “little” things, but in year 4 we are still missing the little things ie punting to the wrong guy......Honestly, how does that happen.  How do we not do the basics of running towards where the ball is vs where it should be.  Holding your lane. That’s JR High stuff....and we still can’t get it right. 

So how many times does it need said?  How many threads need to be started to highlight the same thing?  This is negative crap because it is repeating the same stuff, over and over.  All of us get it.  All of us know the problems.  Some of us choose to see the positives, some choose the negatives, and the vast majority see both.  There are reasons to be excited.  There are reasons to be upset.  Highlighting data from the first few weeks of the season, that are exaggerated due to vast differences is schedule strength, does nothing but attempt to make things look worse than they are.  There is no need.  We are bad in the red zone but, like the past few years, we won't be nearly as bad as your week 4 data paints them.

 

[Nebraska55fan]

Many teams struggle week 1...  

My point is you guys who continue to post negative crap are reaching for more proof that we aren't good.  It's a pretty open book who we are.  Data can be cherry picked both ways but it doesn't mean anything.  We have a bad Oline and bad special teams.  Those both result in bad red zone performance.  Everyone in the nation knows this who has paid any attention to Nebraska.  That said, we are a football team that is a few plays away from being ranked really well.  Would it be deserved?  Nope, but that's how close we are to satisfying 90% of the fan base.  

The net is- the things that are wrong- are structural issues that have been consistently bad over the course of 4 years. They aren't the type of thing that usually get's fixed with a few tweaks.  I'm a fan, go to the games, I'm looking for a reason to be hopeful. The maybe if we do this, maybe if we do that- just need more time, need to shore up this position group etc and we're ok- I've gone through all that to get some hope about my beloved Huskers.  Yes, we've been close to winning all these games- but that's been the case for FOUR YEARS.

Same issues every season with the exception of the defense. The Special Teams, Red Zone scoring, offensive line, penalties, poor clock management and poor play calling in the crunch- I'm not sure we get solved. Frost is 1-13 when faced with the chance for the offense to win or tie the game on the last drive of the game. His clock management and game management make him look like someone that just isn't good in the clutch- when heady play and calmness prevail. You wouldn't think someone with his background would be that way- but he is unfortunately.  How does anyone explain that away? Until this season we have been way upside down with turnovers also. The mindset that we are going to win with offense and the no fear of failure thing that breeds sloppy play just isn't going to work in the BIG. I'm not calling for Frost to be fired- but I'm not confident at all he will turn things around. It's a longshot and I hope he's able to somehow go 6-6 and survive. BUT long term to be successful- Frost would have to have a real change of heart and be open to a lot of change- and he hasn't shown that he's that type of guy. 

 

[Hilltop]

The net is- the things that are wrong- are structural issues that have been consistently bad over the course of 4 years. They aren't the type of thing that usually get's fixed with a few tweaks.  I'm a fan, go to the games, I'm looking for a reason to be hopeful. The maybe if we do this, maybe if we do that- just need more time, need to shore up this position group etc and we're ok- I've gone through all that to get some hope about my beloved Huskers.  Yes, we've been close to winning all these games- but that's been the case for FOUR YEARS.

Same issues every season with the exception of the defense. The Special Teams, Red Zone scoring, offensive line, penalties, poor clock management and poor play calling in the crunch- I'm not sure we get solved. Frost is 1-13 when faced with the chance for the offense to win or tie the game on the last drive of the game. His clock management and game management make him look like someone that just isn't good in the clutch- when heady play and calmness prevail. You wouldn't think someone with his background would be that way- but he is unfortunately.  How does anyone explain that away? Until this season we have been way upside down with turnovers also. The mindset that we are going to win with offense and the no fear of failure thing that breeds sloppy play just isn't going to work in the BIG. I'm not calling for Frost to be fired- but I'm not confident at all he will turn things around. It's a longshot and I hope he's able to somehow go 6-6 and survive. BUT long term to be successful- Frost would have to have a real change of heart and be open to a lot of change- and he hasn't shown that he's that type of guy. 

I want it to work so I try hard to see the problems through the years as different issues that get fixed as new ones develop.  I really think Scott is genuine and likely wants to get better more than anyone on the planet.  Maybe that's getting in the way of good judgement at times?  I need to have a more open mind maybe...  Appreciate the thought out response.  

 

[lo country]

So how many times does it need said?  How many threads need to be started to highlight the same thing?  This is negative crap because it is repeating the same stuff, over and over.  All of us get it.  All of us know the problems.  Some of us choose to see the positives, some choose the negatives, and the vast majority see both.  There are reasons to be excited.  There are reasons to be upset.  Highlighting data from the first few weeks of the season, that are exaggerated due to vast differences is schedule strength, does nothing but attempt to make things look worse than they are.  There is no need.  We are bad in the red zone but, like the past few years, we won't be nearly as bad as your week 4 data paints them.

I like statistics and facts.  I like to see where we can and where we are improving.  I haven’t seen any definitive statistical data as it relates to red zone production and OT stats.  It points to a team, that in year 4 has still failed to find a way to win close games.  That’s an issue.  I would think that Frost and Co would move heaven and earth to find solutions.  ST’s is an easy scapegoat.  But why have we yet to hire a dedicated coach to work with it?  How many times do we have to have a presser where Frosts says we kicked to the wrong guy.  Statistically speaking we should be able to turn this thing around, but in the same note, we shouldn’t be winless in OT.  We shouldn’t be 5-15 in 1 score games.  

The statistics dont lie.  The data points don’t lie.  They are not my opinion.  Frost gets a pass because he is Scott Frost.  Native son, NC NU QB.  If he was anyone but him, not one board member, staring down the barrel of another losing season would think the staff deserves another year.  Especially when you look at his offensive resume he has.  

 

[Nebraska55fan]

I want it to work so I try hard to see the problems through the years as different issues that get fixed as new ones develop.  I really think Scott is genuine and likely wants to get better more than anyone on the planet.  Maybe that's getting in the way of good judgement at times?  I need to have a more open mind maybe...  Appreciate the thought out response.  

 Fair enough. None of us doubt his competitiveness or his desire to win. Hate to play amateur Psychologist but I will. SF has faced some real challenges at NU from way back. He came to campus wearing his Stanford jacket and got his a$$ kicked in practice by his "teammates". He persevered through that. He was anointed QB and struggled out of the gate, got booed and criticized. He stayed the course and ended up prevailing. THen in just his second year as a HC- we wins a "national championship" with a team that had gone winless. 

He has been conditioned to think he's right, stay the course, ignore the critics. That has worked for him. His arrogance was on full display even early on and we applauded him for it, myself included. Even his mentor Coach Osborne faced a little bit of this and stayed his course too- and succeeded. Will he be willing to humble himself and really significantly change the way he coaches and approaches things? Will he be able to really give up his play calling duties and just stick to play design which he seems to be very good at? Can he flip his approach to coaching so it includes some accountability? Can he be an effective CEO? I don't know. I hope so. 

 

[JJ Husker]

I want it to work so I try hard to see the problems through the years as different issues that get fixed as new ones develop.  I really think Scott is genuine and likely wants to get better more than anyone on the planet.  Maybe that's getting in the way of good judgement at times?  I need to have a more open mind maybe...  Appreciate the thought out response.  

Frost is genuine and does want things to improve more than anyone. I’m sure of that. But that doesn’t mean he is doing the best thing in each and every specific situation.

The reason some of these things (special teams, penalties, offensive line, red zone offense and two minute offense) keep getting brought up is because they are the things keeping us from winning and he has not solved these specific problems yet. And the concerning part is, of these issues, the OL is the only one that has even shown signs of meager improvement.

Wanting a problem fixed and actually fixing it is not the same thing. I think it’s an indication that we may not want to get rid of him just yet, but it’s surely worthy of discussion and highlighting the problems. The stat is what it is. You can’t say its not fair at this point because if who we’ve played. We’ve played an overrated OU and MSU and 3 doormats, one who beat us. It’s a fair statistic.

 

[Dansker]

Not just his staff need to go he also needs to overhaul his entire scheme. I think just being a traditionally power run/balanced huddle up team would work well in the B1G since we out recruit the entire west division. Everyone runs no huddle spread. Time to go back to the basics and run snaps from under the center.

 

[BigRedBuster]

Not just his staff need to go he also needs to overhaul his entire scheme. I think just being a traditionally power run/balanced huddle up team would work well in the B1G since we out recruit the entire west division. Everyone runs no huddle spread. Time to go back to the basics and run snaps from under the center.

I don't agree with switching to this.  Teams like this tend to not have creative running games and that's what drove me nuts with both Callahan and Riley.  Our offense needs to get better.  But, I like this type of offense over what you described.

 

[Dansker]

I don't agree with switching to this.  Teams like this tend to not have creative running games and that's what drove me nuts with both Callahan and Riley.  Our offense needs to get better.  But, I like this type of offense over what you described.

I don’t think Frost’s offense will or can work at Nebraska. The proof is in the pudding. Seems to me the offense I described has put Wisconsin, Iowa, NW, MN into the B1G championship games. But the real major difference is those teams had studs on the OL whereas we don’t or at least “not yet” but we “are so close.” 

 

[BigRedBuster]

I don’t think Frost’s offense will or can work at Nebraska. The proof is in the pudding. Seems to me the offense I described has put Wisconsin, Iowa, NW, MN into the B1G championship games. But the real major difference is those teams had studs on the OL whereas we don’t or at least “not yet” but we “are so close.” 

And, if we had those studs on the O line, this offense would probably be chugging along pretty well.  Our run game would be way better.  2AM would have more time in the pocket to find open receivers and defenses would be pulling their hair out to figure out what to do.  

Either way, we need the studs on the line.  Changing schemes doesn't change that.

 

[Undone]

Not just his staff need to go he also needs to overhaul his entire scheme. I think just being a traditionally power run/balanced huddle up team would work well in the B1G since we out recruit the entire west division. Everyone runs no huddle spread. Time to go back to the basics and run snaps from under the center.

It is still a power rushing base that Frost has currently and wants. And it is still a power rushing formation even out of the spread. It was a power scheme under Bo even though we lined up in the "shotgun spread."

When the QB is under center and takes 2-ish steps backwards and then hands the ball off to the RB, it takes the same amount of time for the RB to get to the line of scrimmage as when the QB is in the shotgun and then immediately hands off the ball from the snap.

We are running double tight ends a ton. In my estimation it is a power offense and it is balanced - it's just that the run blocking has been so poor that Frost isn't going back to RB handoffs 25 times per game. He can't, because they aren't working without execution on blocking - especially from our guards.

 

[Nebraska55fan]

It is still a power rushing base that Frost has currently and wants. And it is still a power rushing formation even out of the spread. It was a power scheme under Bo even though we lined up in the "shotgun spread."

Correct. I would just like to see less of the IZ plays and more of the outside wham, option and powers or Gs with guards pulling. Even counter trey. The non inside zone plays seem to be a good bit more effective than IZ. 

 

[Undone]

Correct. I would just like to see less of the IZ plays and more of the outside wham, option and powers or Gs with guards pulling. Even counter trey. The non zone plays seem to be a good bit more effective than IZ. 

Agreed, especially with the bold. Because at least on the pulling plays, even if Cam or one of the guards isn't incredible with where they wind up positioning themselves as they sweep over and up, at least our backs can follow them and maybe a hole materializes.

With inside zone right now it's almost as bad as it was in Riley's third year where our linemen and tight ends looked like they were just whiffing on guys, like they didn't even know where to step up into or to even put their hands. Not quite as bad...but it has been bad.

 

[Nebraska55fan]

Agreed, especially with the bold. Because at least on the pulling plays, even if Cam or one of the guards isn't incredible with where they wind up positioning themselves as they sweep over and up, at least our backs can follow them and maybe a hole materializes.

 Cam has great feet and is pretty aggressive. Even Sichterman seems to block better when he pulls for whatever reason- maybe its me. He just doesn't have much bend when he's pass blocking. 

 

[BigRedBuster]

Have to admit, I'm not a fan of zone blocking.