State of Nebraska Football

Hunter94 said:
just like the political climate has "changed" (God help us all).......so has the game of football. it is now all about the spread or variations of it, which even with average players, can be hard to contain or stop.

there are not many pure running programs left, for several reasons, one being you can just stack the box and pretty much shut it down, as defensive players have become faster and more reactive up front.

you have to go with what works, or be a dinosaur....and we all know what happened to them. so, if you are enamored with the past power running game, get over it, it has gone the way of the spotted owl.

it takes a different type of athlete to play the game now, more speed, more versatility, pass catching ability, etc. yes, it still takes an effective O line, but their are quite a few teams that have this and without the skill guys in space to make plays, they end up just being average football teams.

the game is changing, the play calling and formations are much more wide open and offenses are scoring lots of points. straight ahead power football is dead........the game has evolved.
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The game had supposedly evolved back in the mid-90's as well to the fun'n gun, but we all know how smash mouth football calmed that down. Penn State is a strong running team. They just keep winning. A power running game offense is just as effective today as it was 10 years ago and 20 years ago. There are no dinosaurs with regards to college football offenses. Straight ahead power football will never be dead. The only thing about the game that has evolved is the penalty rules.

huskerjack23 said:
HuskerTrucker said:
All this "damn passing" is all the offense we have been putting out there...there is no run game. For now your stuck with a Husker team that throws the ball...

The Defense is a work in progress...we knew that was the case BEFORE the season. They are undisciplined, as shown by all the penalties.

Special teams is a concern...our punting game sucks lately.
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exactly...the power run game is dead...at nebraska. we can be balanced. we can force our will. but, 5 yards and a cloud of dust left the barn with dan alexander and correll buckhalter.

here's my philosophy, and it's probably bo's too. have a dominating, aggressive defense with an emphasis on takeaways with a balanced offense that has a dominating TOP (run or pass) and scores.

THE DEFENSE COMES FIRST WITH BO. stop complaining about the offense when it's perfectly capable of going over 450 yards total. why does it matter if it's run-heavy?
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What about Dan Alexander and Correll Buckhalter ever made you think about 5 yards and a cloud of dust? I don't remember any dust other than the dust from Buckhalter's mouth from all those tokes he was taking. Neither one of these guys were very good while wearing the scarlet and cream.

 
State of Nebraska Football, My thoughts....

down but not out.

Probably never get back to the mid 90's level.

JMO.

 
Michael said:
Okay post I guess. Except we don't have the players to have a "smash mouth" offense. Remember during the beginning of the season when we tried lining up with power formations? How did that work out again? Oh yeah, that's right:

Hand off to Lucky and Lucky runs into the back of an offensive lineman and goes down. Zero yard gain...

If we line up with power formations, the other team is going to stack the box and shut down the run. Just as the teams during the first five games did.

The first time our offense showed sparks was when they ditched the power formations and spread the field a little more. This opened up the run game alot, and this is the type of offense that works for Nebraska right now. Short passes, runs, some option, screens, and some intermediate passing.

Even if it isn't your ideal offense you would like to see, at least it works, puts points on the board, and gives Nebraska a chance to win. I would rather see this than a failing smash mouth offense trying to be implemented just for the sake of reminiscing.
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Now this is a good post.

How anyone can’t be happy with an offense that averages 446 YPG, 33.1 PPG, is almost 50-50 run to pass (277-280), and holds the ball for 33:18 minutes per game is crazy. The offense isn’t the problem and hasn’t been most of the year.

The original guy gives a pass to everything that has to do with the defense yet will complain about that the offense is lacking because we aren’t “smash mouth”. To many short passes that may or may not get picked off. Whatever

The last true “smash mouth” team here at Nebraska was 2003. Here are those stats: 345 YPG (235 Run, 109 Pass), 24.8 PPG, 716 run to 192 Pass, and we held the ball for 31:41 minutes per game. Here’s the difference from that season to this year, the defense gave up 14 PPG that year compared to 24.3 PPG this year. If I’m not mistaken that “smash mouth” team with “smash mouth” players averaged less YPG, PPG, and held the ball for less time per game as well.

I know that team finished 10-3 however it had a lot more to do with the defense then the “smash mouth” offense.

 
melscott62 said:
clone said:
State of Nebraska Football, My thoughts....

down but not out.

Probably never get back to the mid 90's level.

JMO.
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I have my doubts anyone will... not just NU
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just what i've said all year... there have been too many restrictions put out there scholarship wise... there are many more - talented players out there now a days than there used to be, so they spread out to multiple schools... the big schools stills should always be better, but its not going to be the dominant run nebraska had in the 90s

 
clone said:
melscott62 said:
clone said:
State of Nebraska Football, My thoughts....

down but not out.

Probably never get back to the mid 90's level.

JMO.
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I have my doubts anyone will... not just NU
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me too!
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the scary thing is I think there will be a group of fans that will be upset if we are not back to that point a few years from now. its amazing how much this fan base looks up to TO and yet at the same time takes him for granted.

chances of us getting a coach as good AND as loyal as TO....... slim

 
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I absolutely think a power running team could do quite well in today's 'evolved' CFB mileau.

Football is and always be mainly about blocking and tackling, so whoever does that the best will win games regardless of whether you are run or pass oriented.

If a team wants to be a running team they HAVE to have a stellar D in order to at least keep games close since it's hard to overcome large deficits by running.

Passing teams can be shut down by harrassing the QB and rcvrs: just look at Chase D under pressure..

 
zE bOp said:
I absolutely think a power running team could do quite well in today's 'evolved' CFB mileau.

Football is and always be mainly about blocking and tackling, so whoever does that the best will win games regardless of whether you are run or pass oriented.

If a team wants to be a running team they HAVE to have a stellar D in order to at least keep games close since it's hard to overcome large deficits by running.

Passing teams can be shut down by harrassing the QB and rcvrs: just look at Chase D under pressure..
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I agree 100%. It's all about fundamentals. Blocking and tackling. We see all these glorified offenses, and think this is the next "big thing". Spread reminds me of how people reacted to the run and shoot. We saw what happened. Defenses adapted, and well.....you don't hear about it anymore. All you need to be is fundamentally sound. I remember how people were complaining about Frazier not being able to pass. Remember, Florida was supposed to score all over us with the Fun n Gun bs!!! We lined up, blitzed when we needed and the rest is history. Just because you have the best athletes doesn't necessarily mean championships. Hell, look at Miami, they have by far the best athletes out and they are struggling. It takes coaching and fundamentals.

Now, are we going to get back to the team of the 90's. I don't see why not. How many times did you hear about the demise of OU before stoops?? I remember how bad SC was before Caroll. Doormats!!!! It doesn't take much to get back on track. It just shows how much we slipped under last staff. We show glimpses of being a good, solid team. But, look at our loses. VTech, 3rd and long...oopps penalty. Maybe we win. Tech, ganz throws a pick, instead of throwing out of bonds.....fundamentals. Throw it away. Heck look at Baylor. If glenn doesn't make those penalties, you can take away 100 yds of offense for Baylor. But that's part of the game. There isn't a magic bullet. It comes down to fundamentals. Trust me, the less mistakes we make, the more we win. This team could win out. I am not sipping kool-aid. If we can go into lubbock and damn near shock the world, we are capable of winning out. This team can succeed.

Just make sure our secondary doesn't get caught on double moves...then we will be in trouble!!

One final question.......Does any think Asante should move to LB?? I mean a hybrid linebacker/db. This guy plays better closer to the line. Since dillard is out, it might make sense. I don't know..just a thought.

 
Sure, why not move Asante up and have him spy on DeMarco Murray all game. Makes sense to me but im not a coach either....so :dunno

 
I agree with what is being said for the most part. However “The Spread” is all over the country (High School and College) not just in little pockets like the “Run N’ Shoot” or the “Fun N’ Gun” offenses were. Name one good team that ran the “Run N’ Shoot”, OSU with Sanders, Gundy, and Dykes aside from that it was average teams like Houston that when against anyone worth a crap didn’t fair well. A lot of the “Run N’ Shoot” and “Fun N’ Gun” concepts are being used today in a lot of the spread offenses, just like the option is being used out of it as well. Some could even say that Dr. Tom is responsible for that wrinkle being included in the Spread (see 1995 – 1997). Do I think a true “Power” running team could be successful at the National Level like NU was? I have my doubts but that is just me. I just think that there is way to much speed on the defenses now a day that wasn’t there 15 years ago.

This argument is funny to me because all the “Smash Mouth” people always bring up things that happened over 10 years ago and all the “Spread” people talk about things that are happening right now. True the “Smash Mouth” offense worked, the facts show it did, however the facts also show that defenses caught up to it and that the “Spread” has helped equal the playing field if not give the offense the advantage again. If you ask me if you have to rehash successes that haven’t happened in the last decade it kind of debunks the “Smash Mouth” crowd. But once again that may just be me.

Who knows in 2020 they may be running “Single Wing” offenses again and going with heavy sets and big slow defenses like the Big Ten. Man I hope not that is terribly boring football.

 
Football is cyclical, however. Eventually, to combat the spread, teams will go with smaller, faster defenders across the board. Once that happens, those defenses become suseptible to a power running game. When enough defenses move to combat the spread, someone will institute a power running game and have great sucess, and then everyone will copy it.

 
AR Husker Fan said:
Football is cyclical, however. Eventually, to combat the spread, teams will go with smaller, faster defenders across the board. Once that happens, those defenses become suseptible to a power running game. When enough defenses move to combat the spread, someone will institute a power running game and have great sucess, and then everyone will copy it.
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i hope that the game does make a 180, but right now, it looks extremely doubful. loading the box has become more common and effective, there just seems to be no team that wants to recruit, build a power running program, but i guess we should never say never....

 
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