USC: What Did We Learn

DefenderAO said:
To be that "dominant" I pass defense to then be so inept in the run tells me there's a big problem overall. Pass D was bad or USC was off? Don't know. But the D overall got smoked.
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One of the big credits I give to Lincoln Riley is that Maiava was kind of a turnover machine at UNLV. He's cleaned that up. Maiava wasn't a big difference maker but King Miller was. King Miller also put up big numbers against Michigan.
 
Ballin' out against Akron's 2nd string defense doesn't necessarily translate to Big Ten play. After all the hype, Lateef Time was a huge disappointment.
 
Listening to Rhule talk about wasting a 2nd time out in short order to try to draw USC offsides and then trying a 52 yard FG that was not remotely a give me rather than go for 1 yard, doesn't give me a lot of hope for the rest of the season. He isn't going to learn his lesson. That was a 11 point swing. We knew USC was going to score some more TDs, so to chicken out there was back breaking. Iowa will eat this team up or at very least win in their typical fashion. Penn State and UCLA will likely beat Dylan if he can move around even less and it looks like coaches don't have a 2nd string QB prepared for yet another season in a row. As bad as the defense was against the run, keeping the other team to 21 points should always be a win.
 
Packerhuskerfan said:
Listening to Rhule talk about wasting a 2nd time out in short order to try to draw USC offsides and then trying a 52 yard FG that was not remotely a give me rather than go for 1 yard, doesn't give me a lot of hope for the rest of the season. He isn't going to learn his lesson. That was a 11 point swing. We knew USC was going to score some more TDs, so to chicken out there was back breaking. Iowa will eat this team up or at very least win in their typical fashion. Penn State and UCLA will likely beat Dylan if he can move around even less and it looks like coaches don't have a 2nd string QB prepared for yet another season in a row. As bad as the defense was against the run, keeping the other team to 21 points should always be a win.
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That was the most pathetic attempt to draw a team offsides. Did they even hit them with a hard count?
 
Nebhawk said:
Stats are stats. Wins are wins and losses are losses, that's the final stat everyone looks at first.
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No, that's usually the first one everybody looks. Then they look things like yards, first downs, turnovers margin, etc. I'll take the deflection as an addition that you agree we have a pretty good secondary.
 
We also learned our #2 QB needs some reps & game experience. It's my every year b!^@h.

If DR is hobbled these last 3 games he's going to get seriously busted up. Play him if he's able but let's get Lateef up to speed as job 1.
 
Wasting the timeout was a really terrible mistake by Rhule, but I feel like that’s just something that feels good to complain about to add insult to injury.

We never really got to find out whether that was the difference between winning and losing because EJ got tripped up and didn’t convert that first down on the last drive anyway. We did have one more timeout.

The HUGE problem was not going for it on 4th & 1. I honestly just couldn’t believe it. I was saying “there’s no way he has enough leg for this kick anyway, why are we kicking?”

But seriously, again…even though that was really bad, we had the lead at the top of the 4th quarter anyway. Our defense didn’t shut the game down.
 
Undone said:
The HUGE problem was not going for it on 4th & 1. I honestly just couldn’t believe it. I was saying “there’s no way he has enough leg for this kick anyway, why are we kicking?”

But seriously, again…even though that was really bad, we had the lead at the top of the 4th quarter anyway. Our defense didn’t shut the game down
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all true I think that 4 and 1/time out/field goal try sequence was the turning point in the game (besides DR's injury). You got to trust your players to get that 1 yard when it really matters. Rhule chickened out. There was a greater chance of getting that 1 yard with EJ than making that 52 yard kick.
 
huskerfan74 said:
When you extend a coach who has not yet beaten a ranked opponent and is 6-3 with a favorable schedule, it just promotes complacency. Rhule will be very rich even if fired, so what is the motivation to make the right hires and do your best to do what Cignetti has done at Indiana. Completely understand the Cignetti extension. The guy is a winner. The Rhule extension makes zero sense. He has always been a 0.500 coach all his career and that is not going to change. You are what your record says you are. 2-24 against ranked opponents. This is exactly what we are getting. Other than that, Rhule is an excellent sales person. He definitely says the right things and he is not going to pull a Bo on the field. May be our administration thinks this is worth the money.
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Yes, facts are facts. We are long suffering fans filled with hope that 'it will turn around' next game, next season. Average begets average, past performance normally predicts future performance unless some radical new element is thrown into the mix. Rhule played not to lose on that 4th and 1. Going for the field goal after the wasted time out, did not speak confidence to the offense. Seems to me having EJ run the ball would have been a safer bet than a 52 yard FG try. If you are playing to win, you have to show some aggressiveness. That was the time to do it. Yes hindsight is 20/20 but I think it had to be clear to most people at that moment that our chances wt EJ extending the drive was the better option.
 
TGHusker said:
Yes, facts are facts. We are long suffering fans filled with hope that 'it will turn around' next game, next season. Average begets average, past performance normally predicts future performance unless some radical new element is thrown into the mix. Rhule played not to lose on that 4th and 1. Going for the field goal after the wasted time out, did not speak confidence to the offense. Seems to me having EJ run the ball would have been a safer bet than a 52 yard FG try. If you are playing to win, you have to show some aggressiveness. That was the time to do it. Yes hindsight is 20/20 but I think it had to be clear to most people at that moment that our chances wt EJ extending the drive was the better option.
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Can't disagree at all. My concern is how many times have we been in the red zone and needed that one yard and didn't get it. The staff doesn't have faith in the OL or Rhule doesn't in Dana or Dana doesn't have that "guaranteed" call in his pocket. Riley and the flea flicker was a gutsy call. For too many years we have played to not lose. This only ends up in a loss.....

When Lavonte David went to TB he said he asked Derrick Brooks for advise. Brooks told him that you'll make some mistakes, but play 100 mph. This will help cover up some of them. Team needs to embrace this. Play with urgency. Like each play is your last. I miss the fire and passion. At times it seems like they are just going through the motions....

EJ reminds me of Barry Sanders tbh. How many yards did Barry get behind the LOS waiting for a hole or trying to make something happen. EJ has do do the same thing. I'd love to see his yards after contact and yards to first contact. He is a great runner for sure. Hate the last run was how it ended. Still unsure what happened. Unsure if he comes back next year. He will have some offers. As a runner and receiving threat imagine him with an OL....

Last thought is the old parable of Iron sharpens iron. It's been said our DL goes against our OL, but that truly seems to be bad on bad vs good on good. If the scout team or 2nd team guys can't over take the starters, what does that say about them and development. Still a diehard fan, but we are doing something fundamentally wrong somewhere. Fired Bo because a drunk monkey could get 9-10 wins yet here we are. While GT, Indiana, Virginia, Vandy, Cincy, Lousiville, are ranked....
 
lo country said:
Can't disagree at all. My concern is how many times have we been in the red zone and needed that one yard and didn't get it. The staff doesn't have faith in the OL or Rhule doesn't in Dana or Dana doesn't have that "guaranteed" call in his pocket. Riley and the flea flicker was a gutsy call. For too many years we have played to not lose. This only ends up in a loss.....

When Lavonte David went to TB he said he asked Derrick Brooks for advise. Brooks told him that you'll make some mistakes, but play 100 mph. This will help cover up some of them. Team needs to embrace this. Play with urgency. Like each play is your last. I miss the fire and passion. At times it seems like they are just going through the motions....

EJ reminds me of Barry Sanders tbh. How many yards did Barry get behind the LOS waiting for a hole or trying to make something happen. EJ has do do the same thing. I'd love to see his yards after contact and yards to first contact. He is a great runner for sure. Hate the last run was how it ended. Still unsure what happened. Unsure if he comes back next year. He will have some offers. As a runner and receiving threat imagine him with an OL....

Last thought is the old parable of Iron sharpens iron. It's been said our DL goes against our OL, but that truly seems to be bad on bad vs good on good. If the scout team or 2nd team guys can't over take the starters, what does that say about them and development. Still a diehard fan, but we are doing something fundamentally wrong somewhere. Fired Bo because a drunk monkey could get 9-10 wins yet here we are. While GT, Indiana, Virginia, Vandy, Cincy, Lousiville, are ranked....
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Regarding EJ, he is not coming back. Early offseason he said he was not going to college more than 4 years. This is his final year.

And also, 1000 yard rusher will help his odds to get drafted by an NFL team. Coming back would not be wise.
 
Not Much. This team has improved, but has a few very serious weaknesses holding it back. Pass blocking is poor, WR's can't get separation vs man, & the short yardage run game is an issue on offense. Defensively, this defense can't stop the run if the opponent is 2 dimensional or has a running QB and doesn't generate much of a pass rush. In other words, athleticism, and size at a few positions.

Maybe DH got a little bored trying to play like Iowa/Minnesota after 2 quarters last night. It was working to perfection up until the DR fumble however.

He's obviously not ready, but last night was a game this team really could have used the Carter Nelson that was recruited. I find it hard to believe Barney isn't more of a matchup problem in the slot, but their CB's put on a clinic of how to play man last night. If NU ever had a receiver even get half a step by them last night, I didn't see it. I know Coleman had injury & work ethic issues, but NU really could have used a physical WR capable of winning deep last night. The back shoulder moon ball fades just don't look like good football to me. Surprised Clark isn't a better option in those situations where the ball could at least be up and not behind.
 
floridacorn said:
Not Much. This team has improved, but has a few very serious weaknesses holding it back. Pass blocking is poor, WR's can't get separation vs man, & the short yardage run game is an issue on offense. Defensively, this defense can't stop the run if the opponent is 2 dimensional or has a running QB and doesn't generate much of a pass rush. In other words, athleticism, and size at a few positions.

Maybe DH got a little bored trying to play like Iowa/Minnesota after 2 quarters last night. It was working to perfection up until the DR fumble however.

He's obviously not ready, but last night was a game this team really could have used the Carter Nelson that was recruited. I find it hard to believe Barney isn't more of a matchup problem in the slot, but their CB's put on a clinic of how to play man last night. If NU ever had a receiver even get half a step by them last night, I didn't see it. I know Coleman had injury & work ethic issues, but NU really could have used a physical WR capable of winning deep last night. The back shoulder moon ball fades just don't look like good football to me. Surprised Clark isn't a better option in those situations where the ball could at least be up and not behind.
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DH can't get away from his air raid roots. Just like a tiger cant't change its stripes. He is what he is. And IMHO, the air raid will not work in the B1G with the weather....

Where has Carter been? I know he was in on ST's...
Decked said:
We have to either let Dana run true air raid or change something entirely. This Rhule/satterfield/Dana blend isn’t working. The offense has been abysmal for weeks.
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I am all for letting Dana, Satt, and Thomas go after this season (and Donnie tbh). I can't imagine trying to run the air raid in the B1G. Just look at the last windy game we had in Lincoln vs Mich ST. 2 quarters the O didn't work...
 
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