I think I am like many Husker fans wondering what in the heck happened to start this season. I don't believe anyone predicted we would be winless heading into Michigan, and I realize the easiest game to win was canceled. With that said, here are a few questions I am pondering at the moment.
1. Is Troy better than Colorado? The reason I am asking is that we struggled more than I expected on offense, and Bunch had far less time to throw than Martinez did last week. The O-line was manhandled the whole game which was not the case against Colorado. Troy definitely had a better punter and special teams unit than Colorado. CU is not a slouch team nor is Troy. Troy was 11-2 last year. We were 4-8.....We were also starting a 3rd string walk-on. Our S&C has improved light years from RILEY. BUT it's only been a month or two for some of the guys....It will take a year or two to see the ultimate product. Per Frost, guys were not even working out when he got here. We beat ourselves both games with stupid mistakes. Like we did in Pelini's tenure and Riley's. That crap ain't going away in a summer and fall. We don't have the depth to sit guys who screw up....With Bunch in, the game plan was limited IMO (it sucked is what I said in game thread) so it put our O in a difficult position as well. Hard to get plan mismatches without calling certain plays ie one sets up another. Throw in an O that was going 3 and out and our D facing an O that was snapping with 25-28 secs on the clock. They were gassed.
2. Should Bunch remain the backup? I know it was just one game today, but I was not overly impressed with him. Now I have not seen anything of Masker so I am not sure how he compared to Bunch. Bunch is the guy by default. Who else is there? I hope he improves. Rooting for him. It would also help if guys catch passes and guys don't fumble. I limited playbook will always get limited results....
3. What will it take to stop the dumb plays and penalties and a lack of mental toughness? Sitting guys. But we don't have the depth. Things get rough, as they did today. Guys revert back to old habits. In stress, contrary to public opinion, one falls to the level of their training. One does not rise to the level of their expectations. Repetition will help. Depth will help. Getting over the mental hump of "here comes the loss" will help.
4. If this season continues the way it has, will Frost be willing to let go one of his assistants in favor of some new blood? I know it's early still and I hope the team can turn things around, but today's game was a hot mess. Frost and Co need time. Look at the sh!t show Riley left. How Many DC's in 3 years? 2 losing seasons. Guys recruited for 2 different systems ie Bo's guys and Riley's guys. They need time to get their kids, get the mentality right. Weed out the ones who don't want to put in the work. AND get the kids to trust them and the system.
