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

[URSS]

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. 

I would not totally dismiss the altitude issue.  My first duty station was Ft Carson and it took several months to acclimate to the altitude.  Full exertion is unaffected initially but the longer the exertion is repeated your muscles don’t respond as quickly.  The Huskers should have rotated players often and put them on oxygen on the sidelines.

in the second half, there were many more missed tackles and yards after contact.  They could have been sucking for oxygen they could not get their shoulders into the ball carrier- wound up reaching for arm tackles.

Even with the altitude, the second half had less energy, bad tackling, weak play calling, safeties missing deep coverages, and a missed field goal.  Colorado had the mojo in the second half and just outplayed us.

I think we will see these problems many more times this against Wisconsin, Ohio State and Iowa.  I can’t see us taking the Big 10 West now.

 

[HUSKERBROW1]

Patrick O'Brien - 3rd string at CSU 

Tristan Gebbia  - back up at Oregon St 

Greg Bell - walked on at San Diego St 

Breon Dixon - transfer to CC 

Cam'Ron Jones - transfer to SMU

Quayshon Alexander - transfer to Townson 

Need more? 

No. At least you backed up your position with facts. I give you your props

 

[HUSKERBROW1]

Patrick O'Brien - 3rd string at CSU 

Tristan Gebbia  - back up at Oregon St 

Greg Bell - walked on at San Diego St 

Breon Dixon - transfer to CC 

Cam'Ron Jones - transfer to SMU

Quayshon Alexander - transfer to Townson 

Need more? 

No. At least you backed up your position with facts. I give you your props

 

[WyoHusker56]

No. At least you backed up your position with facts. I give you your props

You kind of caught me off guard with this. Thanks, ha. 

 

[Caliborn72]

Our fans are great. I was in Boulder and had a great time learning about where all our fans come from before and even after the game. I can report that only one CU fan was obnoxious but that the rest treated my group well.

When everything clicks, we will be a dangerous team. I’m not sure when that will be unfortunately.

Agree with everyone who said we got outcoached. For the 2nd year in a row, I came away really impressed with Colorado’s poise. Montez looked downright awful for 70% of the game yet somehow hit big throw after big throw when it mattered. Colorado has an embarrassment of riches at WR.

Some of the players are as good as advertised through camp, some are not. Should have known that tackling might be an issue when all we heard was that Mills was impossible to bring down in camp.

I can’t believe how much better our DBs are than under Riley. They still make mistakes and there’s room for improvement but I think I’m most impressed by the DB change.

I know the Martinez injury last year really hurt us against Troy, but I felt like we let Colorado beat us twice last year. Please, please do not let that happen again. NIU has me a little nervous.

 

[huskered17]

I learned I'm so used to losing the losses don't affect me as badly anymore.

Maybe for you. Last few years  I felt like you do, but this stings like it used to when I was a kid. 

This will drag on till about Tuesday.

GBR!!!

 

[Bryon]

One thing I'd like to see is more slants and more of a west coast O feel.  I think it would help AM's decision making and take advantage of our strengths namely getting Washington Spielman and Robinson in space with the ball quickly.

I don't care how tired you are you do not give up a 95 yard flea flicker at this level.  unexcusable.

I saw a lot of positives and some glaring weaknesses but we are moving in the right direction.   Husker for life!

 

[KCBuc]

NU will not make a bowl game. The years of not developing talent and recruiting woes are now obvious. 

 

[lo country]

One thing I'd like to see is more slants and more of a west coast O feel.  I think it would help AM's decision making and take advantage of our strengths namely getting Washington Spielman and Robinson in space with the ball quickly.

I don't care how tired you are you do not give up a 95 yard flea flicker at this level.  unexcusable.

I saw a lot of positives and some glaring weaknesses but we are moving in the right direction.   Husker for life!

Quick down field passes liked you mention would be great.  Quick pop passes would be great.  Take the responsibilities for multiple reads away from Martinez.  Step away from the screen pass as a way to hide running game deficiencies. I understand getting the ball to play makers in space.  Unfortunately, last night CU shut that stuff down in the 2nd half.  And we had no answer.

I'd also like to see some way to introduce counters and traps into the running game....

Watching the presser last night Frost looked tired and broken.  Like the gravity of the current situation hit him.  Up 17 and lost.  Might be the best thing to happen to him, the staff and team.  A cold hard reality check.  

 

[Treand3]

Watching the presser last night Frost looked tired and broken.  Like the gravity of the current situation hit him.  Up 17 and lost.  Might be the best thing to happen to him, the staff and team.  A cold hard reality check.  

I feel a little Humble Pie is needed. The preseason projections have made some seem to forget that this team has been 4-8 the last two seasons. I think the team, coaches included, have bought into them at least some.

 

[huskered17]

I mean ... everyone would love to grind out 12 play TD drives.  But you know why almost no one does it consistently?  Because it's very difficult to do.  Too many ways for things to go wrong when you're counting on plodding for 4-5 yards every play.

I do remember Bo and Carl saying they did want the other teams to have to run that many plays, because it's hard for a team to do that with out turning it over, then giving up a a quick strike TD.

GBR!!!

 

[huskered17]

I learned that i need to stop caring about nebraska football. 

This is why we need to bring the eye roll back.

GBR!!!

 

[Nebfanatic]

NU will not make a bowl game. The years of not developing talent and recruiting woes are now obvious. 

We almost made a bowl last year. We will get to 6 at least. To me it looks the same as last year out there, but I expect the improvement to be expidited. One thing we saw a year ago that I look forward to this year is getting better. It seemed lile we improved week to week last season, when under past coaches we would fall apart down the stretch it seemed. If we get stronger and stronger as the season progresses like we did last year I think we will be fine and it will be very encouraging for 2020

 

[Jeremy]

I learned that refs these days are absolute TRASH and won't call blatant, out in the open, right in front of their face HOLDING. Absolutely ridiculous, not to mention the obvious PI on their late interception. I know, I know, can't blame a loss on the refs, but this was worse than normal bad.  

I didn't learn much else. Just confused with the second half game plan, if one could call it that.

Did we run any RB screens? I don't remember any. I guess you could call the passes to Washington in the flat RB screens, but I'm talking about screens where we sell the deep pass, and the linemen work downfield. I don't want Callahan back in any way, but he could run a good screen. We need a good middle screen like Zac Taylor would with Cory Ross - Wandale would be perfect for this. 

The inside zone hasn't been there for 2 full games. Just scrap it already. If I was Scott, I'd be scouring everything for whatever little edge we could get. Mills is a straight-ahead triple option back. So, get in the I and run triple option with him if we just HAVE to give this guy the ball. I like the kid and he wears an N on his helmet, so I want him to do well, but he just isn't a high-caliber player.

Some plays I didn't see: WR Tunnel Screen, RB Middle Screen, TE Pop Pass (RPO?), Single Back QB Counter/Wrap, RB Draw-Counter, Mesh.

I don't get why we don't run mesh or shallow crosses really at all. They're easy and normally pretty effective, even for 4+ yds. Ohio State, Purdue, Colorado, and pretty much every other spread team kills with those, even against zone, but we just don't. 

I could be wrong, but for 6/8 total quarters so far, it seems like Scott is trying to pound square pegs into round holes, and I just don't get it. I don't want to be a 'run plays that work' guy, but when a play doesn't work, like EVER, why continue to keep trying it? 

Finally, we need to give Martinez 2 reads, max, and then have him run. He's trying to read everything, and he doesn't have the time for that. Sacks and fumbles are the result. 2 reads. If they aren't there, run, Mr I-Back Who Can Throw. (but protect that flipping ball, for pete's sake)

 

[Fru]

Went to the game. Here’s some thoughts, observations. Some has likely been mentioned already. 

- CU stadium is pretty cool aesthetically. Not very big or loud though. Also, their video boards didn’t have any stats, timeouts, other game scores etc which was kind of annoying. 

- CU was grossly unprepared for the amount of people attending the game. Lots of vendors running out of water, beer, food. Little to no organization. 

- Thought the defense played well but gassed out towards the end. Got gashed on some big plays. But they seemed to give the offense chances. 

- AM missed lots of open receivers. 

- Oline seemed okay at times. Still glaring weakness of the team. 

- Play calling seemed to go conservative. 

- After the game our group stopped at a gas station to get some water and Gatorade. CU fan was behind us on his phone and said “I felt like I was in f*ckin’ Lincoln”

- Didn’t really encounter any obnoxious CU fans, but I chalk that up to the fact there were so few of them there. 

- As players were leaving the field, Mo Washington was flipping out. Screaming and flailing.