PJ Smith Article in OWH

[NUance]

NU safety Smith not fretting about playing timeBy Jon Nyatawa, OWH, Published Thursday March 22, 2012

<snip>

He began his sophomore year as a starter but got demoted — Austin Cassidy and Courtney Osborne took over midway through the season. That's quite an ego hit for a player whose collegiate career appeared on the upswing after he excelled on special teams during a productive redshirt freshman season. He was a standout at John Curtis High School in River Ridge, La., and was part of a group there that won three straight Class 2A state titles.

But he was benched after a win at Oklahoma State in 2010. He hardly played after that. Last year, junior college transfer Daimion Stafford joined the team and earned a starting job early in the season while Cassidy held down the other safety spot. Smith contributed in a few special packages, mostly goal-line or jumbo formations, but he rarely saw the field with the first-team defense.

"He didn't play probably as much as he would have liked, and that was hard for him to deal with," NU defensive coordinator John Papuchis said. "There was competition for the job."

Anybody would have been frustrated, Papuchis said. But Smith said last season that he eventually figured he had no one to blame but himself.

He dedicated himself to becoming a better tackler last year. This offseason he's realized how much more he could learn about an NU defense he once thought he'd mastered. Papuchis said Smith has been a better leader, too.

LINK

I think PJ Smith got benched b/c he didn't know the defense. He was clearly a better athlete than Cassidy. But Cassidy was the smartest safety we had last year. Wasn't caught out of position like PJ. It's now or never for PJ Smith. Hope he puts it on the field.

 

[lo country]

IMO, that is a "flaw" of the Pelini system. I would like to see a way to "simplify" things to get the "better" athletes on the field. I feel safe in saying that not all schools that are winners are running a D as complicated. It just seems that the guys who do well have been in the system for several years.

Just like the O side, the staff needs to find a way to plug in the recruits quicker.

 

[Count 'Bility]

Smith was a poor tackler. So was Thenarse. And those glaring problems were seriously exposed by Oklahoma St. 2010.

 

[bshirt]

Oh boy, while no doubt NUance didn't intend to, this is another chance for the usual crowd to b!^@h & whine about the dreamed up "Bo's doghouse". Here we go (again & again)......

 

[Treand3]

I didn't see PJ much after the Wiscy game, where he struggled mightily. I recall him completely whiffing on containment for a Russell Wilson bootleg which led to a score.

 

[NUance]

Oh boy, while no doubt NUance didn't intend to, this is another chance for the usual crowd to b!^@h & whine about the dreamed up "Bo's doghouse". Here we go (again & again)......

Ha ha! I didn’t know there was a usual crowd that would bellyache about Bo’s doghouse. :lol:

I’m torn on the issue. On the one hand we can’t put a player on the field if he’s lost out there. On the other hand, it’s the coach’s job to make sure our guys know the system. If our best athletes don’t understand our schemes the solution is NOT to put a smarter, but slower, guy on the field. The solution is to teach football to football players.

 

[kchusker_chris]

Oh boy, while no doubt NUance didn't intend to, this is another chance for the usual crowd to b!^@h & whine about the dreamed up "Bo's doghouse". Here we go (again & again)......

Ha ha! I didn’t know there was a usual crowd that would bellyache about Bo’s doghouse. :lol:

I’m torn on the issue. On the one hand we can’t put a player on the field if he’s lost out there. On the other hand, it’s the coach’s job to make sure our guys know the system. If our best athletes don’t understand our schemes the solution is NOT to put a smarter, but slower, guy on the field. The solution is to teach football to football players.

:yeah

yet another case where our best athlete is riding the bench. Pelini recruits a lot of amazing athletes that never see the field for whatever reason...this reminds me of the Mendoza thread a week or two ago...

 

[95huskers]

PJ wasnt in Bo's doghouse. He was in Carl and Saunders Dog house. Essentially, Smith and Osborne were told by saunders that they were no good and they both stood up for themselves. Since then they have disappeared. But now that those 2 coaches are both gone... i think that osborne and smith will get a fair shake... who knows. PJ had some issues with tackling and he knows that. Im sure that he has been working hard on that area. But you cant tell me that he didnt know the defense, because he did. It was simply that a coach wanted Cassidy out there instead. I think we can all agree that he wasnt always the best guy against certain talent he faced. Maybe a more agile, athletic person could have saved a couple of big plays from happening... who knows. I really hope to see both osborne and smith earn their stripes and show what they can do. I would like to see them on the field a lot this season

 

[PaulCrewe]

PJ wasnt in Bo's doghouse. He was in Carl and Saunders Dog house. Essentially, Smith and Osborne were told by saunders that they were no good and they both stood up for themselves. Since then they have disappeared. But now that those 2 coaches are both gone... i think that osborne and smith will get a fair shake... who knows. PJ had some issues with tackling and he knows that. Im sure that he has been working hard on that area. But you cant tell me that he didnt know the defense, because he did. It was simply that a coach wanted Cassidy out there instead. I think we can all agree that he wasnt always the best guy against certain talent he faced. Maybe a more agile, athletic person could have saved a couple of big plays from happening... who knows. I really hope to see both osborne and smith earn their stripes and show what they can do. I would like to see them on the field a lot this season

Who is this Saunders fellow in which you speak of???????????

PJ knew the defense. His biggest problem tackling(as mentioned multiple times), playing outside of the system trying to make plays(self admitted and was confirmed by others), and he has had a difficult time letting screw ups go and re-focussing on the next play/series/game(Ciante Evans syndrome). He strives to be a perfectionist and has taken the criticism hard at times.

PJ, IMO will show us how good he is this fall. He has been a huge asset to the program off the field in hosting recruits. Was stoked when he signedand hopefully we'll see him ride the upside of his potential and flashes of great plays he has made in the past and the low points are VERY few and FAR between.

 

[RedDenver]

Oh boy, while no doubt NUance didn't intend to, this is another chance for the usual crowd to b!^@h & whine about the dreamed up "Bo's doghouse". Here we go (again & again)......

Ha ha! I didn’t know there was a usual crowd that would bellyache about Bo’s doghouse. :lol:

I’m torn on the issue. On the one hand we can’t put a player on the field if he’s lost out there. On the other hand, it’s the coach’s job to make sure our guys know the system. If our best athletes don’t understand our schemes the solution is NOT to put a smarter, but slower, guy on the field. The solution is to teach football to football players.

:yeah

yet another case where our best athlete is riding the bench. Pelini recruits a lot of amazing athletes that never see the field for whatever reason...this reminds me of the Mendoza thread a week or two ago...

This is one of the silliest opinions I've seen. You're essentially saying that being "more athletic" trumps everything else. That makes no sense. You should want the best PLAYER on the field - you know, the guy that will help the team win the most games. Who cares if he's smarter or slower or "less athletic" than some other player? You play to win the game!

 

[Count 'Bility]

So the whole doghouse idea has now been debunked, TWICE, by self admissions of poor practice, execution, etc by certain players themselves. This is very troubling, becuase I'm starting to get this feeling that the fans dont know it all.

 

[Hunter94]

Oh boy, while no doubt NUance didn't intend to, this is another chance for the usual crowd to b!^@h & whine about the dreamed up "Bo's doghouse". Here we go (again & again)......

Ha ha! I didn’t know there was a usual crowd that would bellyache about Bo’s doghouse. :lol:

I’m torn on the issue. On the one hand we can’t put a player on the field if he’s lost out there. On the other hand, it’s the coach’s job to make sure our guys know the system. If our best athletes don’t understand our schemes the solution is NOT to put a smarter, but slower, guy on the field. The solution is to teach football to football players.

one would think, but certainly not the case....or for some it may just take longer?

 

[BIG ERN]

Osborne should have played over Cassidy. Discussion over

 

[NUance]

Note: I think this was the 25,000th thread in the HB Husker football forum. Woo Hoo! :thumbs :

 

[bshirt]

Oh boy, while no doubt NUance didn't intend to, this is another chance for the usual crowd to b!^@h & whine about the dreamed up "Bo's doghouse". Here we go (again & again)......

Ha ha! I didn’t know there was a usual crowd that would bellyache about Bo’s doghouse. :lol:

I’m torn on the issue. On the one hand we can’t put a player on the field if he’s lost out there. On the other hand, it’s the coach’s job to make sure our guys know the system. If our best athletes don’t understand our schemes the solution is NOT to put a smarter, but slower, guy on the field. The solution is to teach football to football players.

:yeah

yet another case where our best athlete is riding the bench. Pelini recruits a lot of amazing athletes that never see the field for whatever reason...this reminds me of the Mendoza thread a week or two ago...

This is one of the silliest opinions I've seen. You're essentially saying that being "more athletic" trumps everything else. That makes no sense. You should want the best PLAYER on the field - you know, the guy that will help the team win the most games. Who cares if he's smarter or slower or "less athletic" than some other player? You play to win the game!

Exactly.

If being more "athletic" trumps everything else, why even practice? Just put the best 40 yd dash times, bench vertical jumps, etc on the field. Don't remember your routes, can't block anybody, can't tackle anybody, can't catch the ball......so what?

:dunno