Returned from the game...
This game was pretty much the opposite of last year. It looked like it was more about fundamentals and establishing the running positions than anything else. Yardage for the Red team was pretty even if I remember right between pass/rush.
Herian blocked better than the routes he ran...looked a little sluggish, but that will get better. He should've had that TD in the endzone. Herian didn't worry me though, because he lined up at flanker and was a lead blocker on one play that completely opened the hole for either Glenn or Lucky (don't remember), and he put down a hell of a block.
Taylor was...well...businesslike. He did what he had to do. No more, no less.
WAY too many dropped passes. By just about everyone. Ganz and Davis were ALL over the place on their passes. White team, to be fair, didn't have alot of time to set up passes.
Titus Brothers was by FAR the fastest looking player on the field. When I saw him take off after catching that kick, all I could think was, Who the ?*%! is THAT? His burst of speed alone made me think he had a chance to take it to the farm, and that was before a Red player even got close to him. Very impressive. Best play of the day by far. He should definitely get a solid look at KR this fall.
Octavien just looked pissed he missed last year. He wasn't perfect, but he was all over the place, following the ball constantly. Great hit on the pass out in the flats for an incompletion. LB's in general were a little conservative, probably due to the irrelevancy to pass-rush with the green jerseys. But they were always making their presence known. Nice INT by Octavien.
I was watching the punts, and they were ok. Nothing fantastic, but nothing embarrassing either. The wind was definitely a factor in the passing and special teams. Congdon banged a FG off the post that he probably should have made. But again, it was into the wind.
Peterson looked nice. Tomerlin had a couple of nice grabs if I remember right, but also dropped an easy one. What in the world happened to Fluellen? Playing with the White, only saw one pass go his way...incomplete. Didn't see much in the way of Brooks, he had one go over his head. Hardy, Swift, and Nunn were most visible. Todd had a nice TD reception. NU will be that much better having a FB that can catch out of the backfield.
I can tell Lucky is a smart person. And by saying that, he's probably way too smart for his own good. I can almost hear him analyizing after he gets the handoff. Is this hole ok? Is it going to close on me? Should I go outside? Coaches don't want me to go outside. Should I find a different hole? There were at least 3 plays I remember that had he shut his brain off and sprinted like hell through the gap he had, he'd probably have scored on two. I'm sure he'll come around on this. He was using too many of his sweet cuts behind the line, instead of once he got past it.
Glenn is just a bulldozer. He is definitely improving, and even showed some nice moves in conjunction with his power. But one thing I did notice was that the defense got smart and started limiting him with ankle tackles. They have learned that body tackles are not that effective in bringing C-Train down.
Crowd was definitely more reserved this year. Was much louder the past two years. But still a great environment. Didn't see much of the recruits, but heard Wilson was signing a bunch of autographs somewhere? Sorry, just heresay. We watched as the stadium filled up, more and more people seemed to give up and go back down the stairs. Not sure if they found seats elsewhere or just left. Saw a few people complaining to the ushers that UNL did not have enough seating for the number of people that were allowed in. They probably had a valid argument.
Enjoyed it for the most part. Not as electrifying offensively as I'd have liked to see, and defensively solid but not amazing, but I understand that's not always the point. Can't wait for the season to get underway!
Foppa :thumbs