OWH: Top Five Storylines Going Into Spring Practice

[Mavric]

Offensive Line

The quarterback, of course

The 3-4 defense

New leaders, waning of Pelini era

Offensive skill positions

OWH

 

[Mavric]

Sam still can't help himself from dragging up Pelini....

 

[spurs1990]

Sam still can't help himself from dragging up Pelini....

He made it sound like this passed group of seniors didn't buy in. I feel like those guys poured just about everything they had into the season. It was a great group of leaders that I felt like were 100% bought in. Sure they weren't recruited by Riley, but they certainly looked to give it their all.

Loss of leaders is always a question going into a new season. Still, relating this back to Pelini seems to be a large stretch.

 

[Making Chimichangas]

Sam still can't help himself from dragging up Pelini....

He made it sound like this passed group of seniors didn't buy in. I feel like those guys poured just about everything they had into the season. It was a great group of leaders that I felt like were 100% bought in. Sure they weren't recruited by Riley, but they certainly looked to give it their all.

Loss of leaders is always a question going into a new season. Still, relating this back to Pelini seems to be a large stretch.

Even though I genuinely want to comment about the part in red...

What I want to say would be counter-productive. Pelini is gone, most of the kids recruited by him, and his staff, are gone--it's just time to move on

 

[Mierin]

It's relevant, as it was for Pelini when he ran out of Callahan's recruits, as it is for every new coach. The less recruits you have leftover from the previous staff, the less excuses you have.

How Riley does with his own guys is a big story even if we're sick of hearing about Pelini.

 

[BigRedBuster]

It's relevant, as it was for Pelini when he ran out of Callahan's recruits, as it is for every new coach. The less recruits you have leftover from the previous staff, the less excuses you have.

How Riley does with his own guys is a big story even if we're sick of hearing about Pelini.

I generally agree.

However, to me, that's more of a talent/skill set issue than "buy in" issue....at least as it pertains to this last group of seniors.

 

[Cdog923]

I don't know if "buy-in" from the Pelini holdovers was necessarily a binary condition. I believe guys like Armstrong, Westerkamp and Rose-Ivey were on board with Riley and the coaching staff and what they are trying to do. Others? Not so much.

 

[Saunders]

Nebraska’s running game in 2016 generally got worse as the season progressed. NU averaged 6.6 yards per carry in a 24-13 win over Northwestern — then never again eclipsed 5 yards per carry that season.
In losses to Ohio State, Iowa and Tennessee, Nebraska outright abandoned the run — NU’s struggling defense had something to do with that — and gained 78, 90 and 61 yards, respectively. The 61 yards against Tennessee was NU’s second-lowest output of the Big Ten era. In Riley’s two seasons, Nebraska rushed for fewer than 100 yards five times; from 2011-2014, it happened twice.

That's kind of a big deal.

Cavanaugh said the scholarship numbers — NU has 17 linemen on scholarship, which doesn’t include Conrad — are closer to what he wants.

Uh, Cav, you have 20% of the roster tied to your position group. If you can't get it done with that many guys....

 

[B.B. Hemingway]

Nebraska’s running game in 2016 generally got worse as the season progressed. NU averaged 6.6 yards per carry in a 24-13 win over Northwestern — then never again eclipsed 5 yards per carry that season.
In losses to Ohio State, Iowa and Tennessee, Nebraska outright abandoned the run — NU’s struggling defense had something to do with that — and gained 78, 90 and 61 yards, respectively. The 61 yards against Tennessee was NU’s second-lowest output of the Big Ten era. In Riley’s two seasons, Nebraska rushed for fewer than 100 yards five times; from 2011-2014, it happened twice.

That's kind of a big deal.

Riley didn't have the luxury of Helu, Abdullah, or Burkhead neither. Of course he is partly responsible for not having those type of players on campus as well.

 

[StPaulHusker]

Nebraska’s running game in 2016 generally got worse as the season progressed. NU averaged 6.6 yards per carry in a 24-13 win over Northwestern — then never again eclipsed 5 yards per carry that season.
In losses to Ohio State, Iowa and Tennessee, Nebraska outright abandoned the run — NU’s struggling defense had something to do with that — and gained 78, 90 and 61 yards, respectively. The 61 yards against Tennessee was NU’s second-lowest output of the Big Ten era. In Riley’s two seasons, Nebraska rushed for fewer than 100 yards five times; from 2011-2014, it happened twice.

That's kind of a big deal.

Cavanaugh said the scholarship numbers — NU has 17 linemen on scholarship, which doesn’t include Conrad — are closer to what he wants.

Uh, Cav, you have 20% of the roster tied to your position group. If you can't get it done with that many guys....

3 of those scholarship linemen shouldn't be on scholarship anymore.

 

[Decked]

Line should be much better with a Healthy Gates, Foster, and Farmer alone. Not to mention a decent center in Raridon. Need to have Farniok and another backup at that RT spot take a leap. Would watch Wilson as well.

 

[Cdog923]

Line should be much better with a Healthy Gates, Foster, and Farmer alone. Not to mention a decent center in Raridon. Need to have Farniok and another backup at that RT spot take a leap. Would watch Wilson as well.

Not to get too wild, but I would like a scenario where Farniok is good enough to push Gates back to RT.

 

[StPaulHusker]

Line should be much better with a Healthy Gates, Foster, and Farmer alone. Not to mention a decent center in Raridon. Need to have Farniok and another backup at that RT spot take a leap. Would watch Wilson as well.

Not to get too wild, but I would like a scenario where Farniok is good enough to push Gates back to RT.

I would like to see a scenario where we didn't have 3 senior OL on scholarship that will probably not see much of the field.

 

[Saunders]

Nebraska’s running game in 2016 generally got worse as the season progressed. NU averaged 6.6 yards per carry in a 24-13 win over Northwestern — then never again eclipsed 5 yards per carry that season.
In losses to Ohio State, Iowa and Tennessee, Nebraska outright abandoned the run — NU’s struggling defense had something to do with that — and gained 78, 90 and 61 yards, respectively. The 61 yards against Tennessee was NU’s second-lowest output of the Big Ten era. In Riley’s two seasons, Nebraska rushed for fewer than 100 yards five times; from 2011-2014, it happened twice.

That's kind of a big deal.

Cavanaugh said the scholarship numbers — NU has 17 linemen on scholarship, which doesn’t include Conrad — are closer to what he wants.

Uh, Cav, you have 20% of the roster tied to your position group. If you can't get it done with that many guys....

3 of those scholarship linemen shouldn't be on scholarship anymore.

Yeah, but NU doesn't cut dead weight. Here's hoping the RsFr guys progress quickly.

 

[Cdog923]

Line should be much better with a Healthy Gates, Foster, and Farmer alone. Not to mention a decent center in Raridon. Need to have Farniok and another backup at that RT spot take a leap. Would watch Wilson as well.

Not to get too wild, but I would like a scenario where Farniok is good enough to push Gates back to RT.

I would like to see a scenario where we didn't have 3 senior OL on scholarship that will probably not see much of the field.

Wouldn't we all.