USC Fan - Let me know your thoughts!

Personally I don't see this being the barn-burner most people seem to expect. If I were Cally I'd start pounding the ball with our 4 I backs and not let up. Try to shorten the game and wear out the deep front 7 of USC. Mix in some play action and try not to let the game turn into a track meet.

It may be possible for NU to start fast and try to hold on but I think the more likely scenario is for NU to hang around until the 4th quarter and see who's got the most left in the tank.

Personally I think NU can hang with USC and could win the game, but only if NU plays a perfect game and Booty struggles a bit.

 
If SC lost two members of their secondary, I think we stand a better shot of it than I did before. A starting safety an a starting corner - pretty significant losses. Maybe you can just plug in the next guy and reload, but nonetheless, I think we'll have a good shot at exploiting your secondary.

Offensively, our O-line scares me. Not because they haven't improved, they have - but because this isn't the dominating o-line I'm used to with Nebraska teams. Much of the battle is fought on the lines...we were using 6,7-man protection sets against La Tech if I recall; I doubt we'll be as effective against the Trojans.

Also, our lack of a feature back scares me. Don't get me wrong, I love our depth at RB and having four guys in there - but what if one or two don't prove to be effective? Not much of a problem against La Tech, but as a coach, what happens when some backs get stuffed consistently? Do we constantly plug in different guys at RB, and does that hurt the team? I'm not sure.

I have lots of confidence in Zac Taylor, however. Booty has been there a long time, but he won a QB battle with Mark Sanchez - Zac has been our uncontested starter and shown poise and leadership. I think our receiving corps is very deep and trust in our pass offense to make plays, especially against a weakened SC secondary.

Defensively, our D-line should be solid and pressuring your QB all day long. We should be able to limit the running game to some extent, although if our secondary opens up like a sieve that will be hard to do. Your WRs are your offensive strength I believe, and if Booty can pass with ease and set the tempo, it will get really ugly.

Careful saying Nicholls St is just as well a bye week though. Look what happened to poor Colorado ;)

 
Here is something to take into consideration when trying to neutralize the SC receivers. Watching them over the last few years, they never run out of the shotgun, everything seems to be under center. So how do they get it to their WRs quickly? Quick slants, outs, whatever. How do you neutralize that? Play bump and run, that way they can't get open right away and it gives our d-line more time to get to Booty. I hope they are looking into this.

 
Basically this game will be about two things-

1. Can the Huskers exploit a depleted USC secondary?

2. Can our front 7 get to Booty before his receivers smoke our DBs?

I don't think NU will be able to run the ball very well against USC. They have a very physical D-line that I think our average O-line will have a lot of trouble with. I think our real opportunities will come from passing and exploiting the inexperience of their DBs. With the WCO, it can get very confusing to defend against for greenhorns and I would imagine new guys will have a tough time picking up TE routes and RB routes coming out of the backfield.

On defense a monster pass rush is the only way out of this one. USC is going to put points on the board anyway, but unless we can get there QUICK we will get destroyed. Andre Jones inspires a little confidence, but poor Grixby is going to get worked over. Hopefully our pass rush can force them to throw over the middle into our excellent LBs and we'll get some picks. If we have Octavien, Ruud, and McKeon in there we might get a few.

We're going to need some help from turnovers to come away with this one, but I'm cautiously optimistic. Even if we just keep it close we're likely to jump in the polls. Kind of a bum deal that it looks like Texas and USC are the best teams in the country again- doesn't bode well for NU's record. Nobody likes facing Texas twice.

 
TrojanMark,

Calling Louisana Tech a bad team doesn't sit well with me.

Then inferring superiority of Arkansas (although Arkansas did play well also) again did not sit well.

It would have been nice if you'd said that both played good teams and faired well. Yet, that was not the attitude I came to understand.

Louisana Tech has a good football team. And, the win by Nebraska was a very good sign of a developing great team. As USC is already a great team I understand the arrogance. But, find it a little too much when USC is getting two weeks to prepare for one of their hardest games of the year agianst Nebraska. While Nebraska will still have to face Texas, Missouri, ....

Good luck in the game and keep that friendly attitude.

 
My thoughts from week 1--

1. This team is much better than I expected, personally. Tech, while seriously outmanned, wasn't a pushover. They are well coached, and play their butts off. And what a catch for their TD!

1a. I was impressed. Best playcalling Cally has done (even at CU).

2. The Blackshirts worry me. USC could tear them up, and rather easily. I'm assuming Coz played vanilla so's not to give them anything to look at.

3. I thought Lucky was the best back. Glenn looked a bit hesitant in the first half, while Lucky hits the hole at top speed. I was impressed that Lucky had the discipline to not try to bounce it to the outside when there seemingly wasn't anything there. I also counted three blitz pickups from Lucky. I'm sure Glenn had some, but I didn't see them.

4. Not that I wasn't impressed with Glenn. I think these two can develop into the top 2 backs in the country before it's all said and done. Jordan has done a good job. I love B-Jax, but the poor kid is caught behind two that could be superstars.

5. The O-line is better, but still only average.

6. Sure is nice to have a senior QB. Zac only made a couple of mistakes, typical of a first game of the season. He looked almost non-chualant (sp?) making some of the reads and throws. I love this guy...took more hits than I would have liked to see, but he had no problems at all. Kudos to the O-Line for giving him more time than last year to find wide-open guys.

7. More dropped passes... :steam

8. USC scares the shyt outta me. Our DB's are not deep, nor are they that good. If not for injuries, I would give NU a chance against USC. However, if it is 42-28 or something of the like, NU will have played pretty well. Damn the luck! I can't believe Dillard AND Fluellen blew their knees. Is it the turf? What the hell is going on?

9. KSU and CU's performances make me laugh. Mizzou and Okie St.'s did not. Some on here have said to watch out for Mizzou...and I agree. They could be better because the QB fits Pinkel's system MUCH better than Brad Smith did. I realize they both played patsies, but so did KSU and CU...supposedly! Man, CU and KSU had better get better...in a hurry!

10. Overall, I am very happy. It is absolutely no one's fault the Blackshirts will get thrown on this year...stupid injury bug! Cally needs to recruit about 10 DB's next year!

 
(because USC fans ARE NOT PREPARED FOR THE INVASION OF HUSKERS FANS) even a big time Pac-10 program (and Washington despite sucking lately still travels better than any other P-10 school) might put... might... 6,000 fans in the coliseum.

 
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