What did we learn: Illinois

[Guy Chamberlin]

Frost is not pass happy. The offense has a very good balance between pass and run. Sometimes I wonder why we go away from the hot hand but it could be because the player is either tired or has some health-related issue. To be honest, as long as we keep scoring on teams, I could care less how the scores come. If the pass game is working and spielman and Stanley are doing great, then keep passing. If Ozigbo and washington are running effectively then keep running. Interrupting the pass game because the fans like it when we run the ball is plain stupid. Also, passing when the other team can’t seem to be able to stop us is also not smart. 

I will say this again: I do not understand why we keep talking about the offense when the issue is the defense. Our offense is clicking on all cylinders and we keep the opponents guessing. Our defense is the one that can’t stop anyone.

I could not agree with this more. 

 

[The Dude]

Tom Osborne used to run to set up the run, and vice versa.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Tom Osborne used to run to set up the run, and vice versa.

Osborne felt like his option plays were "pass plays".  They were his attempt to break off a big play, although it was considered a run play.

 

[Nebfanatic]

We could be lining up Barrett Pickering in the wildcat all game for all I care with these numbers. No one is going to complain about the offense on a record setting streak of 450 yard games. 

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

We could be lining up Barrett Pickering in the wildcat all game for all I care with these numbers. No one is going to complain about the offense on a record setting streak of 450 yard games. 

Yes and no. Bill Callahan's offense averaged 468 yards a game in 2007 and put up some crazy big scores, but we didn't separate the offense from the generally bad feeling of that 5-7 team. 

Big difference is how we're trending at the moment, and it feels pretty up. 

I also don't think we'd have complained as much about Taylor Martinez's throwing motion or Tommy Armstrong's YOLO bombs if the Nebraska defense had been up to snuff. 

 

[TheSker]

Osborne felt like his option plays were "pass plays".  They were his attempt to break off a big play, although it was considered a run play.

Osborne also liked the shovel pass.

 

[Cdog923]

Frost is not pass happy. The offense has a very good balance between pass and run. Sometimes I wonder why we go away from the hot hand but it could be because the player is either tired or has some health-related issue. To be honest, as long as we keep scoring on teams, I could care less how the scores come. If the pass game is working and spielman and Stanley are doing great, then keep passing. If Ozigbo and washington are running effectively then keep running. Interrupting the pass game because the fans like it when we run the ball is plain stupid. Also, passing when the other team can’t seem to be able to stop us is also not smart. 

I will say this again: I do not understand why we keep talking about the offense when the issue is the defense. Our offense is clicking on all cylinders and we keep the opponents guessing. Our defense is the one that can’t stop anyone.

For reference's sake: last year, UCF's run/pass ratio was 54/46. This year at Nebraska, it's 55/45. 

 

[Undone]

Yes and no. Bill Callahan's offense averaged 468 yards a game in 2007 and put up some crazy big scores, but we didn't separate the offense from the generally bad feeling of that 5-7 team. 

Big difference is how we're trending at the moment, and it feels pretty up. 

I also don't think we'd have complained as much about Taylor Martinez's throwing motion or Tommy Armstrong's YOLO bombs if the Nebraska defense had been up to snuff. 

Definitely agree with your last paragraph for sure. 

I haven't done any statistical comparisons with 2007's defense versus 2018's. Here were our results from 2007 though just from a W/L & score perspective though, just for fun:



That season's schedule was probably pretty comparable to this season's Strength of Schedule, just from eyeballing it. Maybe even tougher in 2007, honestly.

 

[Nebfanatic]

Definitely agree with your last paragraph for sure. 

I haven't done any statistical comparisons with 2007's defense versus 2018's. Here were our results from 2007 though just from a W/L & score perspective though, just for fun:

View attachment 14098

That season's schedule was probably pretty comparable to this season's Strength of Schedule, just from eyeballing it. Maybe even tougher in 2007, honestly.

6, 14 and 14 in the middle of the schedule is pretty bad stagnation, especially in year 4.

 

[Undone]

6, 14 and 14 in the middle of the schedule is pretty bad stagnation, especially in year 4.

Yeah, but I was thinking specifically about our defense that season versus our defense this season.

 

[Nebfanatic]

Yeah, but I was thinking specifically about our defense that season versus our defense this season.

Yes I should have quoted @Guy Chamberlin. I think the 2007 offense has its differences with the 2018 offense as well so its not really a fair comparison.

 

[MichiganDad3]

Yes and no. Bill Callahan's offense averaged 468 yards a game in 2007 and put up some crazy big scores, but we didn't separate the offense from the generally bad feeling of that 5-7 team. 

Big difference is how we're trending at the moment, and it feels pretty up. 

I also don't think we'd have complained as much about Taylor Martinez's throwing motion or Tommy Armstrong's YOLO bombs if the Nebraska defense had been up to snuff. 

The difference is that Billy's team put up a lot of points after the game was out of hand. Frost also has the benefit of following MR. Billy wasn't too far removed from a team that played for a MNC with a Heismann QB.