Started this last week but didn't get very far.
I think we did a much better job getting TA easy throws in the passing game - which is why it's odd that he was still under 55% completions.
But we're stuck in a rut calling running plays. Waaaay too many are straight-ahead runs with no misdirection. When you're trying to do that into an 8+ man box, you're not going to get very far, no matter how good your OL is. This was a lot of the problem last year. It's been somewhat better this year but came back to the forefront yesterday.
Here are Newby's 22 carries in order (via Huskers.com):
1-10 NEB 46 Newby, Terrell rush over left end for loss of 1 yard to the NEB45
1-10 PUR 43 Newby, Terrell rush over right end for 11 yards to the PUR32, 1ST DOWN NEB
1-10 PUR 32 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 3 yards to the PUR29
1-10 PUR 15 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 2 yards to the PUR13
1-10 NEB 43 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 2 yards to the NEB45
1-10 PUR 41 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for no gain to the PUR41
2-10 PUR 41 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for no gain to the PUR41
1-10 NEB 32 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 3 yards to the NEB35
2-7 NEB 35 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for loss of 2 yards to the NEB33
1-10 PUR 39 Newby, Terrell rush over left tackle for loss of 1 yard to the PUR40
1-10 PUR 40 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for loss of 4 yards to the PUR44
1-10 PUR 29 Newby, Terrell rush over left tackle for 4 yards to the PUR25
1-10 PUR 29 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 19 yards to the PUR10, 1ST DOWN NEB
1-10 NEB 21 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 13 yards to the NEB34, 1ST DOWN NEB
1-10 NEB 34 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 1 yard to the NEB35
2-9 NEB 35 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 1 yard to the NEB36
1-10 PUR 36 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for loss of 1 yard to the PUR37
1-10 PUR 26 Newby, Terrell rush over left tackle for loss of 2 yards to the PUR28
1-15 NEB 32 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 25 yards to the PUR43, 1ST DOWN NEB.
1-10 PUR 43 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 2 yards to the PUR41
2-8 PUR 41 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 5 yards to the PUR36
3-18 NEB 49 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 2 yards to the PUR49
So out of those 22 rushing attempts, 17 of them were "up middle". It seems to me that calling 77% of your running plays right up the center's butt is too much. Now, this isn't a perfect way to look at it. On a couple of those we at least had a jet sweep fake so it had a misdirection element to it - those were generally the plays that worked better - but you are simply not going to have success running directly into an eight man box that much. Only one of those carries was truely to the outside, despite other plays having success getting to the outside - TA's touchdown run and Alonzo Moore on the jet sweep for example.
Plus, if the excuse is "our line is injured" wouldn't it make more sense to run to the outside where they only have to get in someone's way for a minute and let Newby outrun the rest rather than put it entirely on the line to generate a push straight ahead?
If I have some time later tonight, I'll start in on the play-by-play reviews. But I don't understand what kind of thinking goes in to calling this type of a running game. I really can't come up with any reason why it makes sense. And it particularly doesn't make sense when we have a beat up line and a RB who is much better in space.
I think we did a much better job getting TA easy throws in the passing game - which is why it's odd that he was still under 55% completions.
But we're stuck in a rut calling running plays. Waaaay too many are straight-ahead runs with no misdirection. When you're trying to do that into an 8+ man box, you're not going to get very far, no matter how good your OL is. This was a lot of the problem last year. It's been somewhat better this year but came back to the forefront yesterday.
Here are Newby's 22 carries in order (via Huskers.com):
1-10 NEB 46 Newby, Terrell rush over left end for loss of 1 yard to the NEB45
1-10 PUR 43 Newby, Terrell rush over right end for 11 yards to the PUR32, 1ST DOWN NEB
1-10 PUR 32 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 3 yards to the PUR29
1-10 PUR 15 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 2 yards to the PUR13
1-10 NEB 43 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 2 yards to the NEB45
1-10 PUR 41 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for no gain to the PUR41
2-10 PUR 41 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for no gain to the PUR41
1-10 NEB 32 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 3 yards to the NEB35
2-7 NEB 35 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for loss of 2 yards to the NEB33
1-10 PUR 39 Newby, Terrell rush over left tackle for loss of 1 yard to the PUR40
1-10 PUR 40 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for loss of 4 yards to the PUR44
1-10 PUR 29 Newby, Terrell rush over left tackle for 4 yards to the PUR25
1-10 PUR 29 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 19 yards to the PUR10, 1ST DOWN NEB
1-10 NEB 21 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 13 yards to the NEB34, 1ST DOWN NEB
1-10 NEB 34 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 1 yard to the NEB35
2-9 NEB 35 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 1 yard to the NEB36
1-10 PUR 36 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for loss of 1 yard to the PUR37
1-10 PUR 26 Newby, Terrell rush over left tackle for loss of 2 yards to the PUR28
1-15 NEB 32 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 25 yards to the PUR43, 1ST DOWN NEB.
1-10 PUR 43 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 2 yards to the PUR41
2-8 PUR 41 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 5 yards to the PUR36
3-18 NEB 49 Newby, Terrell rush up middle for 2 yards to the PUR49
So out of those 22 rushing attempts, 17 of them were "up middle". It seems to me that calling 77% of your running plays right up the center's butt is too much. Now, this isn't a perfect way to look at it. On a couple of those we at least had a jet sweep fake so it had a misdirection element to it - those were generally the plays that worked better - but you are simply not going to have success running directly into an eight man box that much. Only one of those carries was truely to the outside, despite other plays having success getting to the outside - TA's touchdown run and Alonzo Moore on the jet sweep for example.
Plus, if the excuse is "our line is injured" wouldn't it make more sense to run to the outside where they only have to get in someone's way for a minute and let Newby outrun the rest rather than put it entirely on the line to generate a push straight ahead?
If I have some time later tonight, I'll start in on the play-by-play reviews. But I don't understand what kind of thinking goes in to calling this type of a running game. I really can't come up with any reason why it makes sense. And it particularly doesn't make sense when we have a beat up line and a RB who is much better in space.