Offensive Line - who starts the rest of the year?

knapplc

knapplc

International Man of Mystery
From the Omaha World Herald:

For the Huskers’ first touchdown, Nebraska’s second-string offensive line paved the way.
After the drive ended with the first of Ameer Abdullah’s four touchdowns, the new group of blockers was understandably stoked.
The most animated of them was junior Givens Price. He was yelling, talking to other linemen and reminding them of the things they did right and what they needed to keep doing.



There was very obviously something different about the drives involving Givens-Price and Kondolo. The blocks seemed better, the holes wider, the going easier.

If you were filling out the two-deep for next week's game, who would be your starting offensive line?
 
Play the hot hand, at this point I see them having the starting spot. Not only that, but maybe this will be a wake up call for the "1st string" line. If you create that sort of competition, I think that provides a spark in practices and is overall better for the team.

 
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knapplc said:
From the Omaha World Herald:


For the Huskers’ first touchdown, Nebraska’s second-string offensive line paved the way.
After the drive ended with the first of Ameer Abdullah’s four touchdowns, the new group of blockers was understandably stoked.
The most animated of them was junior Givens Price. He was yelling, talking to other linemen and reminding them of the things they did right and what they needed to keep doing.


There was very obviously something different about the drives involving Givens-Price and Kondolo. The blocks seemed better, the holes wider, the going easier.

If you were filling out the two-deep for next week's game, who would be your starting offensive line?
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I need to re-watch the game to get a better sense of what was happening with the line. The announcers kept saying the right side of the line was replaced, but I've read some accounts that say everyone but Lewis was replaced, but some of them came back in, so I'm not yet even sure who was in and when.

Whatever the changes were, and however much they had to do with the improvement, it was nice to see the run game finally get going.

 
I would have it: Lewis, Moudy, Reeves, Kondolo, Givens-Price

That line up seemed the most consistent last night. Wouldn't mind seeing Knevel get in also at that left tackle spot.

 
There've been folks who have called for Reeves, Chondo, and Mordi-Price to get their shot for at least a month.

I thought Beck hinted at this with the way he responded to Sam McKewon's question earlier this week on the OL rotation ('Do you wish in hindsight you would've played some of the other guys?' 'Yes') and it took another lackluster start from the top unit, but I think they're going to go with the guys who get the job done from here on out. That should raise everyone's level as they compete for the job each week.

 
knapplc said:
If you were filling out the two-deep for next week's game, who would be your starting offensive line?
Click to expand...
Left to right:
Lewis-Moudy-Reeves-Kondolo-Price

Jake Cotton can play in the B1G, he has shown it in the past, but we can't rely on past success. His penalties are drive killers, and he has not been showing enough in the run game. I put Moudy in his spot because he has easily been the best of the OL all year and looks like he can flip to the left.

Kondolo is the next man up behind Moudy at RG, and if Moudy moves to LG, Kondolo has shown enough to earn his time.

Sterup outplayed his counterpart on the leftside of the OL during non-conf, but if he is hurt (which was suggested after the Mich St game), he has to sit down. Givens-Price showed last night he is fired up to get in the game and be a motivator on that OL.

Mark Pelini has his spot due to descent play but mostly familiarity. Reeves sounded like a quality option during fall camp but needed a little more time to get the cadence. Now is that time.

Lewis keeps his spot because I do not see Finnin or Knevel doing enough. Knevel was a project player coming in. He has been transforming his body but needs more time to be ready for primetime. With that said, Lewis got dominated by Mich St, so he should not feel comfortable without stepping up his game.

Our running game needs a mid-season spark, and a realigned OL could be the shot in the arm to keep us one of the most prolific rushing teams in the nation (currently we sit at #7).

 
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Unless the "first-string" guys show something in practice the coaches haven't seen from them all year, I see no reason to start them over the lineup that we finished the night with. Having an offensive line that played better changed everything about that game.

 
This is nothing but good.

If the second string can step up this well under game pressure, I gotta wonder what the coaches have been seeing in practice all week, all season.

If this fires up the ex-starters, all the better. If the differences between them aren't huge, we can substitute for fresh legs and situational plays all game long.

My biggest problem with this team has been the failure or unwillingess to make in-game adjustments. I'd call this game encouraging.

 
Lewis - Moudy/Cotton - Reeves - Kondolo - Givins-Price

Not sure on Moudy or Cotton at that LG spot, but I think I'd maybe go with Moudy. Otherwise, it's clear that from the Center to the RT on that right side that those guys are better. Why Reeves isn't starting is beyond me.

 
Idk about knocking cotton out. The one holding penalty everyone remembers, that was a pretty poor call by the refs

 
Lewis, Cotton, Reeves, Kondolo, Price

These 5 need to be starting they were money last night

 
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shyndy said:
Idk about knocking cotton out. The one holding penalty everyone remembers, that was a pretty poor call by the refs
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J Cotton has simply committed too many penalties overall this season.....the tripping call on the goal line.....illegal man downfield........costing the team yardage.

 
I'll admit I have only been able to rewatch the first quarter so far, so I haven't been able to critique the entire line's body of work... but so far, I'll agree with the revamped lineup featuring the three 2nd stringers everyone mentioned above.

What I have picked up so far:

  • For someone who gets as much pub for nastiness and attitude as he has, Cotton really has done nothing to impress me through one quarter. Most of his run blocks he ends up just stalemating his defender, not driving them anywhere. Given sometimes they just need to create a wall for a RB to cut back, but he certainly doesn't get much push at all.
  • Moudy is head and shoulders above the rest of the 1st team. He seems more athletic, pulling around the right side on a play with ease and throwing a crushing block.
  • Lewis got PUNKED on the first quarter quick throw by Tommy to KBell in the middle that he left behind Kenny and wound up incomplete. The DE darted right around Lewis... he hung TA out to dry. Suprised TA didn't get leveled.
  • On the whole, getting to the second level was poor from the 1st teamers. We generally had one guy per play, if that, working up to the second level on runs.
The best part about the benching of Cotton, Pelini, and Sterup is that it forces ACCOUNTABILITY. Thus far, these guys thought for sure they were talented enough to be first string on this team and play at a high level in the B1G. As bad as they crapped the bed vs. MSU and started sluggishly last night, they really had no threat to lose their spot even if underperforming because the coaches have shown tendencies to ride their starters out even through rough stretches of poor play.

Benching them sent a message. You have to bring it every week, every game, every play, or your a$$ will hit the bench.

I don't think past teams have had much of a sense of that, and complacency is a terrible thing to breed.

 
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One thing I think we ought to consider is whether some of the subs had the benefit of working against a winded defensive line. Fresher legs and all that. Not saying a change isn't needed, but something that would certainly affect the seeming obviousness that we aren't starting our best players.

 
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