As long as we don't obviously separate wide receiver sets depending on whether we're running, or throwing, I don't think it matters much.
We've had this discussion about Turner multiple times - the dude straight up admitted to not giving 100% last year, dogging it in practice, not knowing the playbook well enough, etc. Outside of him, what other receivers disappeared? I can't think of any. Bell had a pretty good year this last year and he was on the field often.
I'm thinking more back to a guy like Currenski - whatever his issue was I don't remember - but this certainly isn't the first time we've seen flashes of brilliance that quickly fades into a spot on the bench within our WR groups. It's not individual to the coach either...just seems to be the Nebraska way. Consistent receiver play would be nice...but if they aren't consistently off the field, or have 1 rough game or a couple rough practices and they are sitting for the rest of the season...then that's on the coaches as much as the players. They are motivators as much as anything. Turner seems like a great kid - why the heck was he not motivated enough that he'd be dogging it in practice?
Gilleylen wasn't keeping up in practice and lost his spot. If anything, that should be a reflection on his poor attitude. Coaches can only tell players what to do - it's up to the player to actually do it.
Some people insinuate the coaches have no idea what they're doing, play favorites, can't judge talent, have some proverbial dog house that's near impossible to escape from, etc. They don't come out and say it, but it's what they unintentionally (or intentionally) imply. Many Nebraska fans think that these kinds of things are, as you mentioned, the "Nebraska way" - as in this is something that only goes on at Nebraska and other universities don't have these problems. This is so wrong that it just infuriates me every time I see it. These kinds of thoughts pop up on every message board I've ever been to outside of Huskerboard. There is nothing 'Nebraska' about it - it's football.
Why was Turner not motivated? It could be any number of things. He was 18, he was playing at a division one university, it was his first semester of college, it probably was the first time he ever spent significant amount of time away from home, etc. Fans tend to think 'FOOTBALLFOOTBALLFOOTBALL' without realizing they're young men, some still teenagers, who go through every thing life throws at them (including college) and then have to go to work for hours every day. It's not as easy as some people on this board make it out to be.
The players say Pelini treats everybody on the team like family, and cares deeply for all of them.
If a player isn't playing, I feel very confident in saying there's a damn good reason for it, and it has nothing to do with it being how 'Nebraska' does things.
