What did we learn? (The Rocky Mountain Low Edition)

[lo country]

I agree I think that a switch might just flip like last year and this team plays way different. The last two weeks we've shown we can be a good team but mental lapses ruin it. 

As pissed as Adrian was in the post game interview his switch may flip soon. 

Great teams flip the switch from the jump. All the pre-season crap about how much imporved, stronger, faster, know the system, year 2 jump etc......They shouldn't have to go through a loss like this to flip the switch....That's just my .02

 

[Mrsnerdly55]

Someone from Colorado called in on the post game show and he thought the altitude had a lot to do with the second half letdown.  There were many more factors but that probably entered into it.

I am surprised the OL isn't any better than it is.  We heard all year how hard they worked in the weight room and how much stronger and faster they were.  I can't tell much difference from last year.  It all starts with a good line, on offense or defense.  I don't think we are anywhere near being good in that area.

 

[WyoHusker56]

Great teams flip the switch from the jump. All the pre-season crap about how much imporved, stronger, faster, know the system, year 2 jump etc......They shouldn't have to go through a loss like this to flip the switch....That's just my .02

You're right great teams don't need to. This obviously isn't a great team yet, but doesn't mean they can't flip th switch and have a good season. 

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Someone from Colorado called in on the post game show and he thought the altitude had a lot to do with the second half letdown.  There were many more factors but that probably entered into it.

I am surprised the OL isn't any better than it is.  We heard all year how hard they worked in the weight room and how much stronger and faster they were.  I can't tell much difference from last year.  It all starts with a good line, on offense or defense.  I don't think we are anywhere near being good in that area.

That's just off season talk, pretty standard. Try not to buy into it.

The problem at NU is that those stories about the "improved" S&C is written about and regurgitated by two large in state news papers, a magazine dedicated to the team, several beat writers for multiple recruiting websites, and several dedicated radio programs. Every story is blown up, so the hype train gets going on a pretty insane way. 

 

[lo country]

Amazing what Frost's offense can do for a guy, isn't it?

The initial comments started with me saying Oz was that guy (a grinder who could get the yards for 12 play drives) and you saying he wasn't....Nothing to with with Frost's O. I liked Oz in Frost's O.  Your original comment was Oz wasn't that guy.....I said we need a grinder who could get the yards.  You said Oz wasn't it......So regardless of Frost's O, I think Oz was a guy for the O and you don't.  

And was it Frost's O or the guy? Frost didn't give him a look until game 4.....Riley never did.  Oz was finally given a shot and he took it.  Without Oz work, I am unsure if Frost would have given him a look.  

Bottom line, we can go back and forth and it won't change minds or prove a thing.  End of the day we want NU and Frost to have success. Hopefully we continue to grow as a team and staff.

 

[lo country]

You're right great teams don't need to. This obviously isn't a great team yet, but doesn't mean they can't flip th switch and have a good season. 

Agree. Look at least years stretch, 4-2.  I was, like most fans, honestly expecting to be 4-0 going into week 5 against OSU....Now some games I had as a win, I am no longer sure.  I just wish that it didn't take 0-6 to flip the switch last year.  If the filp switches next week, that's be great.  I just wish it hadn't had to come by a loss in such a crappy fashion.  

 

[BoSolich]

Someone from Colorado called in on the post game show and he thought the altitude had a lot to do with the second half letdown.  There were many more factors but that probably entered into it.

I am surprised the OL isn't any better than it is.  We heard all year how hard they worked in the weight room and how much stronger and faster they were.  I can't tell much difference from last year.  It all starts with a good line, on offense or defense.  I don't think we are anywhere near being good in that area.

so do you not think the lineman at other schools work hard in the weight room?

 

[Mavric]

The initial comments started with me saying Oz was that guy (a grinder who could get the yards for 12 play drives) and you saying he wasn't....Nothing to with with Frost's O. I liked Oz in Frost's O.  Your original comment was Oz wasn't that guy.....I said we need a grinder who could get the yards.  You said Oz wasn't it......So regardless of Frost's O, I think Oz was a guy for the O and you don't.  

And was it Frost's O or the guy? Frost didn't give him a look until game 4.....Riley never did.  Oz was finally given a shot and he took it.  Without Oz work, I am unsure if Frost would have given him a look.  

Bottom line, we can go back and forth and it won't change minds or prove a thing.  End of the day we want NU and Frost to have success. Hopefully we continue to grow as a team and staff.

Oz had plenty of chances under Riley. 

He had 90 carries in 2016 - averaged 3.8 ypc - no carries longer than 17 yards

He had 129 carries in 2017 - averaged 3.8 ypc - one carry longer than 20 yards

You can't be a "grinder" that's getting 4-5 yards every carry and average 3.8.  The math just doesn't work.

So what changed?  He slimmed down, got faster and took advantage of being in Frost's offense where he was running free.  He had 6 games with a carry of at least 20 yards. 

His ypc didn't go up because he was a grinder.  It went up because he was getting a bunch of chunk plays.

 

[Mrsnerdly55]

so do you not think the lineman at other schools work hard in the weight room?

Yes, but we were led to believe there was little emphasis on it with the previous coaches.  I'm sure they made some progress but they certainly aren't where they need to be.  

I think Frost and the team will be fine but it might not be this year.

 

[WyoHusker56]

Agree. Look at least years stretch, 4-2.  I was, like most fans, honestly expecting to be 4-0 going into week 5 against OSU....Now some games I had as a win, I am no longer sure.  I just wish that it didn't take 0-6 to flip the switch last year.  If the filp switches next week, that's be great.  I just wish it hadn't had to come by a loss in such a crappy fashion.  

Yup I agree. If it takes 6 straight losses to flip a switch something's wrong. I was excited to hear the emotion in Adrian's post game interview. Last week he played poorly and he knew it, but he tried to be level headed and not overreact. His emotion has been missing the last two games and he needs to bring it back. 

 

[Landlord]

I mean we are only two seasons removed from losing to North Illinois

Two seasons ago we underperformed compared to what we were capable of because of bad coaching. We shouldn't have lost to them, and we fired the coach that did it because he wasn't good.

and one season removed from losing 6 games in a row to start the season

That was Frost's team lol. You can't use that as an argument to give Frost more time when he's the one that got us there. Riley never did that, and there wasn't any reason that we should've done that last year either. That's a checkmark against Frost, not a defense of him.

Hate to say this but Riley set this program back in his tenure, and it is going to take some time to get the cupboard. 

Frost has already almost entirely overhauled the roster and there are hardly any Riley players left. What's the excuse gonna be next year?

if we would have just hired Frost before we did the Riley experiment, I think we would be contending now. 

Based on any evidence, or just wishful thinking? Frost is 5-9 as a head coach here so far, with top 25 recruited raw talent.

 

[HUSKERBROW1]

Frost is supposed to be this offensive guru. Starting to see why some of last year's players  ,quote " Didn't buy in" terrible play calling. We have no smash mouth running backs that can lower their head and run straight ahead. They all left. Worst play calling I have seen in years. Where was J.D. Spielman??

 

[lo country]

Two seasons ago we underperformed compared to what we were capable of because of bad coaching. We shouldn't have lost to them, and we fired the coach that did it because he wasn't good.

That was Frost's team lol. You can't use that as an argument to give Frost more time when he's the one that got us there. Riley never did that, and there wasn't any reason that we should've done that last year either. That's a checkmark against Frost, not a defense of him.

Frost has already almost entirely overhauled the roster and there are hardly any Riley players left. What's the excuse gonna be next year?

Based on any evidence, or just wishful thinking? Frost is 5-10 as a head coach here so far, with top 25 recruited raw talent.

Let's be honest.  If that was anyone not named Frost, people would be calling for his head.  Look at what happened to Solich and Pelini.....To Frost's credit, he did say this would be a long term project.  I am sure that he and the team bought into the hype this off season.  Be hard not to...

I said lasy year, and stand by it this year.  Frost needs time.  We have to have patience.  He is in year 4 in a  Power 5 conference.  It might be hard for him to admit that things are going as planned.  Maybe hard to realize it's harder to marry up tempo, fast flying UCF offense with Husker Power than he thought.  He is still learning as evidenced by the blown TO, the TO at the start of the 2nd half etc.....

 

[CapoValley]

Two seasons ago we underperformed compared to what we were capable of because of bad coaching. We shouldn't have lost to them, and we fired the coach that did it because he wasn't good.

That was Frost's team lol. You can't use that as an argument to give Frost more time when he's the one that got us there. Riley never did that, and there wasn't any reason that we should've done that last year either. That's a checkmark against Frost, not a defense of him.

Frost has already almost entirely overhauled the roster and there are hardly any Riley players left. What's the excuse gonna be next year?

Based on any evidence, or just wishful thinking? Frost is 5-9 as a head coach here so far, with top 25 recruited raw talent.

Frost trash-talking Riley was bad form after he was hired, it looked even worse this past off-season as Frost was coming off of a 4-win season, and now it looks downright laughable after today's game. Yes, I know that it was fodder for the fans, but it was horrible karma and really bad form.

The reality is this, they’re talking like 1997 and playing like 2017.  And we are looking dead in the face of a staff that flat out wasn’t ready to recruit or coach in the P5

Here’s to hoping I’m wrong but this....this ain’t good. 

 

[HUSKERBROW1]

You are a major Big Ten University and you can't have a back up kicker. I don't blame Punter Armstrong for nothing!. You let a kid from your own city Lincoln Northeast walk on at Northwestern 2 years ago. Frost comes across as hard headed ,"My way or the highway " that attitude doesn't work with this generation. You can't even get a SNAP OFF in time. What are you  doing all spring?