Secondary Questions

[True2tRA]

I think blitzing is overrated. It's best if we can get the rush from the 4-man front. Of course, this isn't always possible and blitzes can be effective. However, I would think in my limited knowledge that blitzes work best against pocket-passing statues. The ones Bo has figured out already. Sending a blitzing 'backer or DB on a real mobile QB is asking to get burned. Blitzes are going to be even easier to evade than an open-field tackler for those guys, because the blitzer is charging.

And once evaded, if there's no run lane open, we're short a man in coverage. Coverage can only really work for a certain amount of time. Taking a man away from coverage, and going against a QB who can evade him 1-on-1 and extend plays from the pocket, seems like a low-percentage, high-risk strategy.

Go look at what opposing defenses did to Denard Robinson last year, and how they slowed him down. Same for Braxton Miller. Both of whom torched us.

Blitzes are not overrated. Used correctly they are very effective. They cannot be used in all situations, but Bo uses them in nearly no situation, and that's wrong.

I guess you'll have to point me to which teams slowed them down:

Denard Robinson:

vs. NU - 11/18, 180 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT; 23 rush, 83 yds (3.6 ypc), 2 TD - 263 total yds, 4 TDs

vs. Notre Dame: 11/24, 338 yds, 4 TD, 3 INT; 16 rush, 108 yds (6.8 ypc), 1 TD - 446 total yds, 5 TDs

vs. Mich St.: 9/24, 123 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT; 18 rush, 42 yds (2.3 ypc), 1 TD - 165 total yds, 2 TDs

vs. Iowa: 17/37, 194 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT; 12 car, 55 yds (4.6 ypc) - 249 total yds, 2 TDs

vs. Ohio St. - 14/17, 167 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT; 26 rush, 170 yds (6.5 ypc), 2 TD - 337 total yards, 5 TDs

So Michigan St. (#5 in the country in yards allowed and arch-rival) had him bottled up, Iowa was about the same and ND and Ohio St. were much worse. I suppose you can throw VaTech in as a team that bottled him up but it's a lot easier to have everyone on the same page when you have a month to prepare.

Braxton Miller:

vs. NU (3 quarters) - 5/8, 95 yds, 1 TD; 10 rush, 91 yds (9.1 ypc) - 186 total yds, 1 TD

vs. Mich St. - 5/10, 56 yds, 1 INT; 9 rush, -27 yds (-3.0 ypc) - 29 total yds

vs. Wisconsin - 7/12, 89 yds, 1 TD; 19 rush, 99 yds (5.2 ypc), 2 TD - 188 total yds, 3 TD

vs. Penn St. - 7/17, 83 yds, 1 TD; 18 rush, 105 yds (5.8 ypc), 1 TD - 188 total yds, 2 TD

vs. Michigan - 14/25, 235 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT; 16 rush, 100 yds (6.3 ypc), 1 TD - 335 total yds, 3 TD

So, again, Mich St. had his number, Wisc & Penn St. were comparable and he torched Michigan. You can argue that he compiled his stats against us in only 3 quarters but he only completed one pass and had 3 rushes for 12 yards playing all but 5 plays of the third quarter so we were doing better in the second half and our offense was actually holding the ball which is a large part of why both these QBs were able to put up the stats they did against us.

I don't argue that I wish we could do some things differently but I think is misleading when people talk like we're the only team that has problems with mobile QBs. They hurt a lot of people and, as shown above, they hurt a lot of teams worse than us.

Absolutely.

What's so amazing is that so very many posters here are always sobbing for a return to some cement shoes pocket qb like Z. Lee or Z. Taylor. You would think "Nebraska" fans more than anyone else would understand what huge threat to defenses a great running qb is but......NOOOOOooo! They demand a Dan Marino 1st and foremost but if he runs like M. Vick that's ok too. Like they just grow on trees.

Ha....it's never boring here!

GBR!!

There are a lot of dual threat QB's out there to recruit. We just got to get a few of them. Tommy Armstrong is the first real "dual threat" QB we have gotten. Tommy is even more polished passer than Brion Carnes is, and Carnes isn't too bad. If you've read the papers lately, but it's clear Beck is wanting his offense to include the passing game a lot more. Maybe even more than the run game in the future. Don't forget how Kansas's offense looked when Beck was there. I think Reesing was actually a decent runner when he needed to be, but he was more than capable as a passer. Not only has Beck pointed out the direction of the offense, he was even quoted as saying that he wants to recruit "PASSERS that can run" not runner's with limited passing abilities. So yes, in a way he's looking for a combo of Marino and Frazier. Just like the rest of the country. The key is just getting ONE. Once Armstrong hits that field, and we see the true direction of Beck's offense, I think High School QB's will be clamoring for a chance to come play for Nebraska. I don't think we've seen the real direction Beck wants to go with things quite yet. Not til' he gets HIS QB back there.

 

[zoogs]

Carnes is a dual threat. I dunno if TA is more polished passing (it's possible) but he does seem to be lacking the shiftiness and maybe speed dept that Carnes has got. So I think they are just potentially dual threats on slightly different areas of the spectrum. No idea where they stack up in terms of overall talent.

 

[True2tRA]

Carnes is a dual threat. I dunno if TA is more polished passing (it's possible) but he does seem to be lacking the shiftiness and maybe speed dept that Carnes has got. So I think they are just potentially dual threats on slightly different areas of the spectrum. No idea where they stack up in terms of overall talent.

Oh no....trust me Carnes is a dual threat. I completely agree, and I'm also one of Brion Carnes' biggest fans. Hoping the guy sees the field as a starter this season matter of factly, but that's besides the point. I agree, Armstrong might not be as shifty, but both kids can run when needed. I kind of meant it as Armstrong being more of a 60% passer 40% runner. Carnes maybe 50/50. Equally capable in both departments. Hell, even Blaine Gabbert was able to tear some holes in our defense with his legs, so I think it's clear that the ability to pass comes first. A real pass threat can open up all kinds of holes in a defense, it's when you've got a guy that can run that takes those holes and makes a defense pay. Hell, even if Martinez could fool defenses into believing he can operate this passing game, the opposing defenses would have to take some guys out of the box. The safeties would have to play back. The LB'ers would have to play honest instead of just attacking. This offense could already be great by just adding a threat of the pass.

 

[bshirt]

Well, guys like Frost, Frazier & Crouch weren't even remotely "pass 1st" dual qbs and all they did was win. And win. And win.

Sure, a qb who excels at everything is gravy (and non-existent) but just "maybe" being a big threat running the ball is worth more than you guys think? Also, just "maybe" having a capable OLine is kind of important too? Also, just "maybe" having some WRs who reliably catch the ball might help somewhat? Who knows? Maybe the Blackshirts actually more frequently stopping someone probably wouldn't hurt either?

Many here think the immediate insertion of Carnes, Armstrong or anybody else would magically turn our offense into 1983 and our team national champions. Maybe you're right! I doubt it but we'll see.

GBR!!

 

[True2tRA]

Well, guys like Frost, Frazier & Crouch weren't even remotely "pass 1st" dual qbs and all they did was win. And win. And win.

Sure, a qb who excels at everything is gravy (and non-existent) but just "maybe" being a big threat running the ball is worth more than you guys think? Also, just "maybe" having a capable OLine is kind of important too? Also, just "maybe" having some WRs who reliably catch the ball might help somewhat? Who knows? Maybe the Blackshirts actually more frequently stopping someone probably wouldn't hurt either?

Many here think the immediate insertion of Carnes, Armstrong or anybody else would magically turn our offense into 1983 and our team national champions. Maybe you're right! I doubt it but we'll see.

GBR!!

When your running the triple option, as we were in the highly successful years that Frazier, Crouch, and Frost were QB's. There was no reason for them to be pass first QB's. It's the OPTION! ? Tom Osborne designed a hell of an offense, he was one of the great strategists of the game, his playcalling was among the best ever and he found some damn good QB's that could execute his type of system. Now Beck, as I said before, wants to have a more capable passing attack. He's made it very clear that he is not happy with the passing game. He's made it clear that he, Martinez, and the rest of the team are focusing the majority of their effort on improving that aspect of the offense. What in the world makes you think Osborne and Beck would want the same type of QB's to operate two entirely different types of offense is something I just can't grasp. You do realize that we are not running the triple option at Nebraska 95% of the time like we did in the 90's? I can't find the link to the article, but Beck even states in a recent article, he wants a "PASS FIRST" QB that has the ability to run. Clearly Osborne wasn't all to concerned with PASSING QB'S when we ran the ball 90% of the time.

 

[bshirt]

Well, guys like Frost, Frazier & Crouch weren't even remotely "pass 1st" dual qbs and all they did was win. And win. And win.

Sure, a qb who excels at everything is gravy (and non-existent) but just "maybe" being a big threat running the ball is worth more than you guys think? Also, just "maybe" having a capable OLine is kind of important too? Also, just "maybe" having some WRs who reliably catch the ball might help somewhat? Who knows? Maybe the Blackshirts actually more frequently stopping someone probably wouldn't hurt either?

Many here think the immediate insertion of Carnes, Armstrong or anybody else would magically turn our offense into 1983 and our team national champions. Maybe you're right! I doubt it but we'll see.

GBR!!

When your running the triple option, as we were in the highly successful years that Frazier, Crouch, and Frost were QB's. There was no reason for them to be pass first QB's. It's the OPTION! ? Tom Osborne designed a hell of an offense, he was one of the great strategists of the game, his playcalling was among the best ever and he found some damn good QB's that could execute his type of system. Now Beck, as I said before, wants to have a more capable passing attack. He's made it very clear that he is not happy with the passing game. He's made it clear that he, Martinez, and the rest of the team are focusing the majority of their effort on improving that aspect of the offense. What in the world makes you think Osborne and Beck would want the same type of QB's to operate two entirely different types of offense is something I just can't grasp. You do realize that we are not running the triple option at Nebraska 95% of the time like we did in the 90's? I can't find the link to the article, but Beck even states in a recent article, he wants a "PASS FIRST" QB that has the ability to run. Clearly Osborne wasn't all to concerned with PASSING QB'S when we ran the ball 90% of the time.

Ok, that's all well said. Very good points, compadre'.

However, a few side comments from Beck, at least to me, isn't iron-clad proof (or very clear) that he "really" wants to trash our run first offense and go fluffball. Or even the Kansas route. Maybe that's just blind hope of mine but we'll see.

Again, good post TttR.