So Tommy Decided to Pass?

[74Hunter]

But you're making stuff up.

There were no option routes. Sam makes that very clear. The coaches make that very clear.

This wasn't the same scenario as Eli. There was no pass option.

It was a bootleg. No pass option.

I mean, if we would have lined up with 5 wideouts and called a QB draw, would you say it was just too tempting for Tommy not to pass it? It makes no sense.

Tommy threw it when it was a running play with no option.

Love the guy. He's been our offensive MVP this season. But he either misinterpreted the call or he made a bonehead play.

Either way, the coaches weren't responsible here.

Not rocket science, give to the damn running back and run the clock out.

The incompetent staff screwed this up, just like they, did against BYU and Miami.

 

[84HuskerLaw]

WRs run routes on bootleg to draw defenders off edges, and RB or FB flare to same side as QB.

Nothing out of the ordinary at all about what was going on in the screenshot of the 3rd down play above. If anything, it lends to the idea of why Tommy threw the ball. Defender in his face stopping him from turning corner, defender on inside cutback lane. Ozigbo is releasing from a bad block and has lots of space. Armstong likely thought it was an easy dump off and Ozigbo is in better shape to get the 1st down than he would be. Either way, Tommy has to be aware of the situation there and the best play is just to eat a loss or no gain.

I don't even remember what formation we were in on this play, but just an illustration of what a bootleg might look like while run out of I-formation ..

What I think we can all agree on is that a bootleg was an absolutely terrible call. Especially when the coaches don't believe the quarterback can run the ball, yet in the biggest situation say "Alright we want you to run it, make sure you absolutely don't throw it though" to the one guy on the team that would have an instinct to throw the ball. I don't care if they said to Tommy 8,000 times not to throw, if he sees a defender in his face his first instinct is going to be to throw the ball. If they simply just handed it to Jano or Ozigbo there would've been no part of their brain that said, "Screw it we're throwing this one"

If you choose to believe Langsdorf, he said he made it very clear that this had to be a run play.

I feel like they did indeed call a QB run play. If they said they called a run play in the press conference, and they didn't the backlash in the locker room would be ridiculous. I just don't understand what's so hard for these guys to allow the running backs to run the ball

This seems to get to the heart of it all? We know Riley & Co have little use for the run game, except as a change up for the passing stuff. They just don't 'get it' I suppose. You would think, after 4 decades of coaching as well as playing at Bear Bryant's Alabama in the wishbone of all things, that Riley would have more affinity for running the ball. One will lose a lot of close games without having the ability to run the ball 6 or more snaps in a row and at least some level of confidence you can get a couple first downs without throwing. Strangely, this season, we have shown glimpses and stretches where we can actually RUN successfully and consistantly. However, these coaches don't see it or just don't want to see it. I know they want the fans to get used to the idea that Nebraska is now a throwing team. I don't call Riley's offense 'west coast' (only the Montana led 49ers offense really ran the west coast offense IMO). I hate to say it but I think Riley wants to run something more akin to Callahan's offense which everybody wanted to call the West Coast Offense (hell Callahan may have called it that) but in my view was not the west coast offense. There are neat things aboutthe offense. But Riley runs way too many screens and not nearly enough draws and basic run plays. Screens are best suited for 2 and very long and third and medium situations. We could go on and on. Riley just does not believe in running the ball, except as a change up. That's the bottom line. It won't work in bad weather. You can win in the NFL sense (about 65% of your games is considered successful in the pros - but not in Nebraska - that gets you fired). Rely on the short passing game instead of true running won't work. There is NO substitute for basic running game.

 

[louisianared]

But you're making stuff up.

There were no option routes. Sam makes that very clear. The coaches make that very clear.

This wasn't the same scenario as Eli. There was no pass option.

It was a bootleg. No pass option.

I mean, if we would have lined up with 5 wideouts and called a QB draw, would you say it was just too tempting for Tommy not to pass it? It makes no sense.

Tommy threw it when it was a running play with no option.

Love the guy. He's been our offensive MVP this season. But he either misinterpreted the call or he made a bonehead play.

Either way, the coaches weren't responsible here.

Please refer to page 2 of this thread, post number 83 and tell me there are no passing options on that play. That clearly shows pass protection and passing routes. If the coaches notice something funky with the formation they need to call a timeout. Which Riley and Langsdorf said they did notice something "off" about the formation. How can the coaches not be responsible?

You run the passing routes to get the safeties and d-backs back so that it takes them longer to get to the QB on the bootleg (forces them to defend a possible pass) so that the play takes the maximum time possible.

I still haven't seen anything to say that the coaches didn't call a run play. I think Tommy just ran the wrong play.

I do think the not calling a timeout is a valid question though.

 

[GBRedneck]

But you're making stuff up.

There were no option routes. Sam makes that very clear. The coaches make that very clear.

This wasn't the same scenario as Eli. There was no pass option.

It was a bootleg. No pass option.

I mean, if we would have lined up with 5 wideouts and called a QB draw, would you say it was just too tempting for Tommy not to pass it? It makes no sense.

Tommy threw it when it was a running play with no option.

Love the guy. He's been our offensive MVP this season. But he either misinterpreted the call or he made a bonehead play.

Either way, the coaches weren't responsible here.

Bullsqueeze. The coaches are responsible. They teach Armstrong to throw balls away and not take sacks. It was their coaching that caused Armstrong to do that.

It's the same situation as Joe Dailey against Southern Miss when he ran out of bounds. He was a good dual threat QB, and the coaches took his legs away. They coached hom to throw the ball away and get out of bounds to avoid injury. He did what he was coached to do, and just like now, some people want to blame the playe rand absolve the coaches of all responsibility.

And even if it was all Armstrong's fault, it still doesn't explain why they turned around and called a pass play on 4th down!!

These coaches are career .500 for a reason. I'm starting to think the reason is they've been extremely lucky, because they look more like .200 coaches.

Seriously, I now think I was being generous when I referred to Riley as "Callahan 2.0". I think I owe Bill Callahan an apology.

 

[GBRedneck]

I just rewatched the 3rd down abortion. Ozigbo slips right by the guy that pressured Armstrong. If it was a designed bootleg run, wouldn't Ozigbo pick up that block? He gives the guy a little fake, slips right by and immediately turns and looks for the ball.

Now maybe Armstrong audibled out of it or called his own play, but the play they ran did not look like there were no pass options.

 

[germanforbigred]

And even if it was all Armstrong's fault, it still doesn't explain why they turned around and called a pass play on 4th down.

Because you are more likely converting a 4th and 7 by throwing than by running. And when you turn the ball over on downs the clock stops whether you run or pass

 

[NUance]

Just watched the play in question again.

5 guys run passing routes.

All 5 lineman stay in to pass block.

Tommy immediately looks to pass.

Ozigbo swims past a defender and immediately looks back for the ball.

I've seen called running plays a time or two, that certainly didn't look like one of them. 11 guys all ran the same play, none of them did anything that would indicated it was a called QB Sweep.

Riley should have simply just admitted his error. Not a good look.

I haven't seen a replay yet. But sitting in the stands it looked like Ozigbo whiffed on his block. And Tommy improvised by throwing over the guy.

Do people in this thread really think Mike Riley would sit there in a press conference and lie about a play called? If it was a lie then we'll have players coming out today with the truth. All the players on the field, and probly a handful on the sidelines, know what play was called.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Just watched the play in question again.

5 guys run passing routes.

All 5 lineman stay in to pass block.

Tommy immediately looks to pass.

Ozigbo swims past a defender and immediately looks back for the ball.

I've seen called running plays a time or two, that certainly didn't look like one of them. 11 guys all ran the same play, none of them did anything that would indicated it was a called QB Sweep.

Riley should have simply just admitted his error. Not a good look.

I haven't seen a replay yet. But sitting in the stands it looked like Ozigbo whiffed on his block. And Tommy improvised by throwing over the guy.

Do people in this thread really think Mike Riley would sit there in a press conference and lie about a play called? If it was a lie then we'll have players coming out today with the truth. All the players on the field, and probly a handful on the sidelines, know what play was called.

I don't believe that Riley lied about the call in the press conference. I still say it was a terrible play call. Hand the ball off to Janovich or Ozigbo and run it into the line. Taking a knee would have been a better option. You can't even put the ball in a situation where it could be thrown like that.

 

[AFhusker]

But you're making stuff up.

There were no option routes. Sam makes that very clear. The coaches make that very clear.

This wasn't the same scenario as Eli. There was no pass option.

It was a bootleg. No pass option.

I mean, if we would have lined up with 5 wideouts and called a QB draw, would you say it was just too tempting for Tommy not to pass it? It makes no sense.

Tommy threw it when it was a running play with no option.

Love the guy. He's been our offensive MVP this season. But he either misinterpreted the call or he made a bonehead play.

Either way, the coaches weren't responsible here.

Bullsqueeze. The coaches are responsible. They teach Armstrong to throw balls away and not take sacks. It was their coaching that caused Armstrong to do that.

It's the same situation as Joe Dailey against Southern Miss when he ran out of bounds. He was a good dual threat QB, and the coaches took his legs away. They coached hom to throw the ball away and get out of bounds to avoid injury. He did what he was coached to do, and just like now, some people want to blame the playe rand absolve the coaches of all responsibility.

And even if it was all Armstrong's fault, it still doesn't explain why they turned around and called a pass play on 4th down!!

These coaches are career .500 for a reason. I'm starting to think the reason is they've been extremely lucky, because they look more like .200 coaches.

Seriously, I now think I was being generous when I referred to Riley as "Callahan 2.0". I think I owe Bill Callahan an apology.

It is all moot if Tommy just eats it there, like the play is designed.Instructions should have been to Tommy, he get as much as you can... but make sure you stay in bounds and DO NOT stop the clock... don't try get anything extra... don't try to improvise... take what is there and get down in bounds... it is OKAY if you lose 5 yards... just don't let the clock stop running.Then Tommy would have got on the edge and went..... oh sh#t.... go down. Riley has to remember these basic things were not taught by Bo... he assumes his QB knows this already... but he as to treat him like a kid... cause he clearly has no idea.

 

[ECoastHUSKR]

At least with Callahan we signed 4 star and 5 star talent.

True that.
The recruiting from this current coaching staff is concerning so far. Where are the DL and DB we need.

After today there is plenty to b!^@h about as it pertains to the coaching staff, but WTH are you talking about? They are doing well recruiting, the best since Callahan was here. You can't fix a black hole that the previous staff left in one class.

That black hole that won 9 games every season? Stop.

 

[GBRedneck]

And even if it was all Armstrong's fault, it still doesn't explain why they turned around and called a pass play on 4th down.

Because you are more likely converting a 4th and 7 by throwing than by running. And when you turn the ball over on downs the clock stops whether you run or pass

Or maybe kick a 44 yd FG and end it?

Who am I kidding. They chose not to end it on 3rd down when they had the chance. Why would they choose to end it on 4th down?

 

[GBRedneck]

At least with Callahan we signed 4 star and 5 star talent.

True that.

The recruiting from this current coaching staff is concerning so far. Where are the DL and DB we need.

After today there is plenty to b!^@h about as it pertains to the coaching staff, but WTH are you talking about? They are doing well recruiting, the best since Callahan was here. You can't fix a black hole that the previous staff left in one class.

Huh? Have you looked at the recruiting rankings and the current offers and commits? The '16 class will be ranked in the 30s. Prolly around 7th in the B1G.

 

[AFhusker]

At least with Callahan we signed 4 star and 5 star talent.

True that.
The recruiting from this current coaching staff is concerning so far. Where are the DL and DB we need.

After today there is plenty to b!^@h about as it pertains to the coaching staff, but WTH are you talking about? They are doing well recruiting, the best since Callahan was here. You can't fix a black hole that the previous staff left in one class.

That black hole that won 9 games every season? Stop.

Who gives a flying f#*k about winning 9 games against sh**ty teams? You just need "to stop" with defending a guy who told an entire fan base to go f#*k itself. In case you didn't know that includes you too. You also need to admit the truth that Bo, just like Frank left with very little talent on the team and it is going to take time for this coaching staff to fill those holes. Look at how many busts we had in the 2012/2013 recruiting classes and you will see why we don't have any LB's, DE's, or DT's.

 

[True2tRA]

They just said on BTN, pass play was called but Tommy was instructed not to pass. He threw it anyway.

 

[huskerfan92]

They just said on BTN, pass play was called but Tommy was instructed not to pass. He threw it anyway.

What's important here is a pass play was called....why call a pass play if you're not going to pass.......WHY EVEN THINK OF THE WORD PASS IN THAT SITUATION