Tim Beck" You can't be afraid to start over and junk everything."

[Hskr86]

^ And we'll probably be on here in September when we're playing the fluffs arguing over whether Beck will go down as one of the greatest OC's in NU history because he just hung 600 yards on Chattanooga or Wyoming.

Ultimately the hire will be judged, not based on a few games or even a single season - but the next 3 years...just like Watson was.

Until then...we gripe about playcalling and praise new schemes/players. That's what we do on Huskerboard right?

:yeah great post.

 

[Hskr86]

"-- Beck said he'll probably coach from the press box on game days, although he hasn't thought that far ahead, he added."

This is from the same topic in LJS. Any thoughts on the OC in the box? ...I have always wondered, personally, how an OC can have proper in-game interaction with players about what they're experiencing on the field, when he's so removed (?)

 

[mmmtodd]

im all for the "junk it" and begin fresh mentality. The whole problem with Watson and his offense was the fact his playbook was a junkyard, scraps of everything all mishmash-ed together with no easily identifiable purpose.

And how on Earth do you know that?

educated guess, logic, whatever. i mean, did you watch the team play the last couple years? what would you call watsons offense?

this continuing defense of shawn watson is amusing annoying.

 

[HuskerTrucker]

Watson's offense was going nowhere, so I am glad to see that we are doing something new. If it hadn't been for Martinez, the Huskers had no real offensive plan, he was Watson's plan, period.

I am sure there will be growing pains, but I think these coaches are motivated, unlike Watson. I am not sure I agree with keeping Cotton, I didn't like what the offensive line looked like even last year - too much inconsistency and lack of purpose. I have to wonder if Cotton was retained because his kid is on the team...but that is probably a real leap there, because I don't think Bo would do that, or would Dr. Tom put up with it.

 

[74Hunter]

"-- Beck said he'll probably coach from the press box on game days, although he hasn't thought that far ahead, he added."

This is from the same topic in LJS. Any thoughts on the OC in the box? ...I have always wondered, personally, how an OC can have proper in-game interaction with players about what they're experiencing on the field, when he's so removed (?)

Most OC's do call it from the box, they get a better view of what is going on, bigger picture of the game as a whole.

 

[74Hunter]

im all for the "junk it" and begin fresh mentality. The whole problem with Watson and his offense was the fact his playbook was a junkyard, scraps of everything all mishmash-ed together with no easily identifiable purpose.

And how on Earth do you know that?

It's common knowledge that Watson was using WCO passing principles and zone read running principles. That didn't help, but then having your OL coach not buy in to your gameplan made the entire thing implode.

 

[kchusker_chris]

Watson's offense was going nowhere, so I am glad to see that we are doing something new. If it hadn't been for Martinez, the Huskers had no real offensive plan, he was Watson's plan, period.

Just looking back historically at Watson's offenses, his playcalling, west-coast lean, etc...I'd go out on a limb and say Martinez was about as far from Watson's plan as you could get. He didn't fit anything Watson had done in the previous 8-10 years. B. Gabbert was Watson's plan. Z. Lee might have been his plan. Martinez...not so mcuh.

 

[bshirt]

Well, we've had seven years of fluffball and the results haven't been pretty. Especially vs any decent defense. It sure hasn't taken playing a powerful Miami @ Miami to stuff it.

This is a unique time for NU cfb. We can afford to make any kind of offensive change we want due to having a superb defensive coaching staff. Doing this while entering the Big10 just makes it more exciting.

The stakes are very high though....another offensive total failure could easily be NU's undoing for a long time. Who knows how long Bo will stay if we can't punch our way into playing the big boys even? Devaney/TO put NU as an elite status in cfb but to stay there it's time for the 3rd coach to stand up.

We'll see.

 

[CornfedChris]

This doesn't necessarily rule out the spread packages, but I would rather see us go back to more I-form and QB under center this year.

 

[Hujan]

1) Our offense honestly could not get much worse than it was last season. We were basically at rock bottom, particularly the latter half of the season.

It honestly cannot get worse.

It could and has been worse. The last two combined seasons under Solich/Barney and the first two combined seasons of Billy C were worse then the last two years combined.

2009/2010

28.0 PPG

360.4 YPG

2002/2003

26.1 PPG

359.5 YPG

2004/2005

24.8 PPG

340.8 YPG

Barney’s offense in 2003 averaged less points but more yards then that crappy offense we threw out there in 2009 and Billy C. in 2005 averaged less points and less yards then that offense.

So our offense in 2009/2010 was SLIGHTLY better than the worst, rock-bottom offensive performances in modern Nebraska history? We were ranked basically last in just about every offensive category of note in 2009, and the only difference in 2010 was an uber-soft schedule where we played nary a stout defense, plus we surprised some teams early on with Martinez's running ability. Even then we didn't do much better than the the worst offensive performances in recent memory in the only category that matters: Points per game.

Ever take a statement a tad too literally, and in the process, lose the forest for the trees?

“'How do I get to the best play?'”
“Players win games. It's not about plays.”

:dunno

I believe the "How do I get to the best play?" is what he wants his players to think. He wants them to think on their feet and become field generals in their own right. His second quote, although seemingly contradictory on the surface, mirrors that same concept: It's not about the plays that the coach calls, but rather the players---and their ability to recognize what needs to be done---that makes the difference.

 

[zoogs]

and the only difference in 2010 was an uber-soft schedule where we played nary a stout defense

This is a bit of a myth and it needs to stop. I can't find the post now, but I compared the total and scoring defenses of our first four conference opponents, where we posted great big offensive numbers, vs the total and scoring defenses of our final four conference opponents, where we struggled. The offensive numbers dropped dramatically, but so did the defensive numbers. We scored 31 on the #6 scoring defense in the nation (Missouri). Our biggest struggle came against the #6 total defense in the nation (Texas). We weren't suddenly exposed by better defenses later on, we just lost our two best quarterbacks to injury - and tried to play one of them anyway.

2010 was far, far from the 'worst possible' offense.

 

[walksalone]

and the only difference in 2010 was an uber-soft schedule where we played nary a stout defense

This is a bit of a myth and it needs to stop. I can't find the post now, but I compared the total and scoring defenses of our first four conference opponents, where we posted great big offensive numbers, vs the total and scoring defenses of our final four conference opponents, where we struggled. The offensive numbers dropped dramatically, but so did the defensive numbers. We scored 31 on the #6 scoring defense in the nation (Missouri). Our biggest struggle came against the #6 total defense in the nation (Texas). We weren't suddenly exposed by better defenses later on, we just lost our two best quarterbacks to injury - and tried to play one of them anyway.

2010 was far, far from the 'worst possible' offense.

I concur, but I will amend a statement made in the prior post...

2010 had our offense fail at the worst possible times...

 

[Hercules]

This doesn't necessarily rule out the spread packages, but I would rather see us go back to more I-form and QB under center this year.

I'm not sure that plays to the strengths of any of our QBs.

 

[CornKing]

Sipple made an interesting observation about Beck's interview last night:

Maybe I'm trying too hard to read between the lines. Maybe I ought to relax. But listening to Beck, it was pretty clear that the Nebraska quarterback race once again will be wide open. Guess that's not a surprise because that's the Bo Pelini way, so to speak, even at the QB position. In some programs, it would be a returning starter's "job to lose." Bottom line, Martinez once again will have to win the job. Nothing wrong with daily competition, right?

LINK

I like to hear this. While it makes me a little nervous to think that we may start 2011 with yet another first-year starter, the bottom line is we HAVE TO put the best guy out there. Nobody is handing Martinez the job at this point, and that's great. He'll have to earn it again, and (apparently) leadership in the huddle/locker room is going to factor into that.

I understand that Martinez may be naturally shy, and there's no harm in that. But if the job description of the starting QB at Nebraska includes having the respect of your teammates and being a leader on the field and in the locker room, then that's what you're going to have to be. Talent only gets you so far. We saw what happened last year when talent got thrown out the window due to injuries. The huddle collapsed, and confidence and productivity went along with it. You just cannot have that.

Maybe it is just me but he sounded pro Cody Green. The "rumors" I hear about the relationships of the QBs with the team lead me to this thought. I've heard the guys like CG more.

 

[Hunter94]

lots of question marks, glad Beck is excited, but scrapping everything and starting over makes for one helluva learning curve......may make for a rough ride.