The Practice Drive

[knapplc]

Why does it seem like the defense can't stop anyone on the first drive of the game? Five out of seven games we've given up a TD on our opponents' first drive.

Does it take this defense a series or two to figure out what they're doing? Does our game plan consist of figuring out how they're going to attack us before we do anything other than base, vanilla defense? Do you wish our defense would dictate to the opponent more than react?

 

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

I don't think it's the players. I think it's the coaches. It's like their going 'nilla with the defense to see what the other team is going do then adjust from there. I'd rather see the defense come out and just blitz the crap out of the QB to send a notice. Have we held any of our opponents to a 3 and out on the opening drive?

 

[Thanks_Tom RR]

Not sure. It might be a systemic choice by Bo to come out in base defense let the offense show us their game plan, then make adjustments. It's a glaring problem similar to the one that occurred in our punt return game last year when Bo went conservative. He didn't trust his players or his own eyes, until the next season.

I will take it as a positive that one of the two teams that we stopped in their first drive was Michigan St (clearly our stiffest competition in our regular season).

 

[Count 'Bility]

Charlie McBride spoke about this on HailVarsity one day. He was pretty understanding for a guy that headed some total lockdown defenses. it was pretty understandable too. Coaches spend a week gameplanning and scripting their best plays to get a fast start and gain momentum. They exploit defens's weak spot, which will most like be in a "wait and see" mode to start anyway. Also there's the game speed issue as well. Sometimes it jsut takes a possession or two to adjust. Unless we're playing Idaho St, there's no way our scout team is giving our defense the full look they need to be fully ready. There's been numerous coaches and reporters saying that every team this year has dont stuff on their opening that there's no way Nebraska couldve been ready for it. Charlton Warren said on sports nightly the week after the Miami game, that the Canes combo'd routes and did things that they never saw in any film study of Miami for 3 years and even leading back to Golden's time at Temple. And when the game is as fast as it is, one false step makes all the difference. I'm not so much worried about this anymore. I'd be much more worried if we werent making the right adjustments, which is clearly obvious we are.

Also, I dont know the numbers, but jsut glancing around at college football, it seems there's an abundance of teams lighting it up on opening drives. I think this is just a pattern of teams putting together their best to open the game, grab the momentum, and trying to ride it out.

 

[QMany]

Players have said that they were too pumped up and excited. Takes them a little to settle in and read keys and make plays they know they should be making.

 

[Danny Bateman]

It strikes me as odd that with the amount of years these players have had in Bo's system that we still come out seeming every game day "too pumped" and unable to essentially do our job until we've "settled in." And, as far as new things they haven't seen/prepared for on film, you'd think if the players understood their keys and what to do conceptually, they'd be able to react to any play and do what they're supposed to do. I know it sounds easy to do on paper, but am I that far off?

Guess part of it feels to me like it goes back to Bo's read and react vs. attacking defense. I feel like if we had more of an attack mentality, it would be simpler for players to just have an assignment void of overly difficult reads and just eliminate that variable completely.

Finally, this is probably a tangent, but I sure am getting tired of wasting all our timeouts every time Bo thinks he sees an offensive formation he doesn't like. Again, if you trust the players you've trained so long to make plays and do their jobs, why waste timeouts? Last night, cost Collins his first sack. To me, it screams "I don't trust you guys" to the defense and that's an indictment on his ability to teach and prepare.

 

[RedDenver]

I think it's also just part of the continuing trend of high-scoring offenses in college football. Teams tend to score on more drives, so it stands to reason that more opening drives will be scores.

Finally, this is probably a tangent, but I sure am getting tired of wasting all our timeouts every time Bo thinks he sees an offensive formation he doesn't like. Again, if you trust the players you've trained so long to make plays and do their jobs, why waste timeouts? Last night, cost Collins his first sack. To me, it screams "I don't trust you guys" to the defense and that's an indictment on his ability to teach and prepare.

Bo mostly uses defensive timeouts in the first half, so is it better to save them for a potential 2 minute drill or potentially stop the opponent from scoring? In the second half, I seem to recall that Bo mostly uses them when we have the lead, so it's again about whether it's better to have a 2 minute drill or keep them from scoring. Most of the timeouts are on critical 3rd and 4th downs, so when I say "keep them from scoring", I mean on that drive not just that play.

 

[Danny Bateman]

I think it's also just part of the continuing trend of high-scoring offenses in college football. Teams tend to score on more drives, so it stands to reason that more opening drives will be scores.

Finally, this is probably a tangent, but I sure am getting tired of wasting all our timeouts every time Bo thinks he sees an offensive formation he doesn't like. Again, if you trust the players you've trained so long to make plays and do their jobs, why waste timeouts? Last night, cost Collins his first sack. To me, it screams "I don't trust you guys" to the defense and that's an indictment on his ability to teach and prepare.

Bo mostly uses defensive timeouts in the first half, so is it better to save them for a potential 2 minute drill or potentially stop the opponent from scoring? In the second half, I seem to recall that Bo mostly uses them when we have the lead, so it's again about whether it's better to have a 2 minute drill or keep them from scoring. Most of the timeouts are on critical 3rd and 4th downs, so when I say "keep them from scoring", I mean on that drive not just that play.

I guess I just wish we could have the best of both worlds.

I respect that Bo is trying to give his defense the best chance to succeed, but looking around college football, I see most coaches use a TO on a big defensive play PERIODICALLY, usually with the lead. With us, it's a trend-- usually early and without a lead. In the first half anyway.

I wish we could get to a point where our defense could operate without needing calmed down on big third downs. We operate at a loss this way. If we do in fact need timeouts to try to score later on or stop the clock in a comeback, they won't be there.

 

[Mavric]

I think a couple things. First, most teams use a script which probably lets them run the plays a little faster. A player or two (Cooper?) said a couple weeks ago that they aren't getting to their checks fast enough early in the game. That sounds a little cop-out-ish to me but there's probably some truth to it. Also, we are VERY reliant on what we're expecting to see. If teams do something different, it often causes us problems. I think that's a big reason for the early-season struggles we've seen the last couple years.

I had to listen to the first half on the radio last night and haven't watched the replay yet but I think missed tackles were the biggest issue early last night. Seems like they were often getting 3-4 extra yards because of it. We had them on two third downs but couldn't stop them.

 

[Danny Bateman]

If those are the two I'm thinking of in the 1st Q Mav, Coop whiffed on a curl route where he would've had the receiver stopped short, and Roach got a nasty stiff arm from Jackson in route to a first near the goal line.

Quicker pursuit by Coop would've had him, and Roach might've had Jackson if he'd gone low. That kid is a load, though. Very solid back.

 

[VectorVictor]

It strikes me as odd that with the amount of years these players have had in Bo's system that we still come out seeming every game day "too pumped" and unable to essentially do our job until we've "settled in." And, as far as new things they haven't seen/prepared for on film, you'd think if the players understood their keys and what to do conceptually, they'd be able to react to any play and do what they're supposed to do. I know it sounds easy to do on paper, but am I that far off?

Guess part of it feels to me like it goes back to Bo's read and react vs. attacking defense. I feel like if we had more of an attack mentality, it would be simpler for players to just have an assignment void of overly difficult reads and just eliminate that variable completely.

Finally, this is probably a tangent, but I sure am getting tired of wasting all our timeouts every time Bo thinks he sees an offensive formation he doesn't like. Again, if you trust the players you've trained so long to make plays and do their jobs, why waste timeouts? Last night, cost Collins his first sack. To me, it screams "I don't trust you guys" to the defense and that's an indictment on his ability to teach and prepare.

Re: Defensive timeouts, do we know the success rate of them? Just curious if anyone has run the data?

 

[BigRedBuster]

I really don't care about this anymore. The coaches have proven that they adjust to what the offense is doing.

I also would much rather have the players too pumped up to start ghe game than trying to get them woke up.

 

[Count 'Bility]

I think it's also just part of the continuing trend of high-scoring offenses in college football. Teams tend to score on more drives, so it stands to reason that more opening drives will be scores.

Finally, this is probably a tangent, but I sure am getting tired of wasting all our timeouts every time Bo thinks he sees an offensive formation he doesn't like. Again, if you trust the players you've trained so long to make plays and do their jobs, why waste timeouts? Last night, cost Collins his first sack. To me, it screams "I don't trust you guys" to the defense and that's an indictment on his ability to teach and prepare.

Bo mostly uses defensive timeouts in the first half, so is it better to save them for a potential 2 minute drill or potentially stop the opponent from scoring? In the second half, I seem to recall that Bo mostly uses them when we have the lead, so it's again about whether it's better to have a 2 minute drill or keep them from scoring. Most of the timeouts are on critical 3rd and 4th downs, so when I say "keep them from scoring", I mean on that drive not just that play.

I guess I just wish we could have the best of both worlds.

I respect that Bo is trying to give his defense the best chance to succeed, but looking around college football, I see most coaches use a TO on a big defensive play PERIODICALLY, usually with the lead. With us, it's a trend-- usually early and without a lead. In the first half anyway.

I wish we could get to a point where our defense could operate without needing calmed down on big third downs. We operate at a loss this way. If we do in fact need timeouts to try to score later on or stop the clock in a comeback, they won't be there.

I wonder how many coaches see their defense give up a long play for a score wish theyd a called timeout when they saw a glaring mismatch or misalignment. I know the defense hasnt been overly stellar the past few years, but in reality, we actually do pretty well (it seems anyway) of prevent that long gashing play.

 

[Danny Bateman]

Admittedly I'm just nitpicking here. Maybe I'm too used to the NFL where you rarely ever seen defensive timeouts called because those teams are all proficient at two minute drills and want to keep those TOs in their back pocket.

Regardless, we do limit the big play better than a lot of teams most of the time. It usually takes a play like JMitch falling down against Alison on the deep bomb against Illinois or JRose losing track of Lippett against MSU... Busted coverage type stuff. I do appreciate that. If you're gonna beat our D, you're gonna have to earn it. Dink and dunk... Move the chains. Most teams can't do that consistently.

I wonder where our first half O ranks?

 

[WhatDoIKnow]

I would rather not have it that way, but I've accepted it for reasons already mentioned. Scripted plays, and adjusting by the defense.

I will be upset if we lose a game 7-0.