knapplc
International Man of Mystery
I was thinking about this doing chores today. We've lost two one-score games. Why?
Are Colorado and/or Troy just better than Nebraska? Possibly. Colorado has some talent in the skill positions, and made clutch plays when they needed to. Troy went 11-2 last year and won the Sun Belt, and trounced North Texas (who just trounced Arkansas in Fayetteville) in their bowl game. Colorado is in year six of the Mike MacIntyre rebuild, and he's finally getting some traction.
Both losses were by less than a touchdown, so Nebraska could have won either game on their last possession. But we trailed in those instances thanks in large part to our own unforced errors. Untimely penalties, turnovers, poor execution, all either stalled drives or allowed points. Nebraska's three turnovers against Colorado led to 14 points, and while Troy didn't turn turnovers into points, each one stalled a potential scoring drive. Nebraska is at -5 in turnover margin through two games. Penalties have been a mixed bag, since some of these calls are questionable, to say the least. But our guys are putting themselves in position for refs to make those calls, and if you have inconsistent refs, you have to play clean and not allow them reasons to throw those flags. We haven't been doing that.
There's a discussion to be had about how much talent we actually have on the team. I think there's talent, and some really good skill players, but there's some talent gaps. Frost & Co. are working on that.
Frost is the hero incarnate, I know. But he and the coaches - who went 13-0 last year and clearly know better - have made some galling errors. Not burning clock vs. Colorado. Not opening up the playbook. Late play-calling decisions that lead to stupid penalties. Instilling a culture that "We are Nebraska" which means Nebraska of the 1990s instead of Nebraska the underdog trying to claw its way out of the cellar. Frost and his staff are selling a dream, not a reality. The whole staff, from Moos down to the interns, are doing that, to be fair. The graphics are all throwbacks to dominant days, days long gone, that this team has no recollection of and no idea how to emulate. You can't sell that package to an audience who doesn't understand it.
So that's my list. It's short because I'm lazy and tired as a$$ after standing in a hotbox for four hours yesterday thanks to stupid Troy and stupid hurricane Florence and that stupid fool in the red shirt who stands on the field during TV timeouts. I'm going to find that guy and Nancy Kerrigan his kneecap and see how he stands in two weeks when Purdue comes to town. And I did yard work today and it was hot and Florence is the worst thing in the history of things today and whatever.
Give me your other. I missed stuff, I know.
Go Big Red. Every day 'til I die.
Are Colorado and/or Troy just better than Nebraska? Possibly. Colorado has some talent in the skill positions, and made clutch plays when they needed to. Troy went 11-2 last year and won the Sun Belt, and trounced North Texas (who just trounced Arkansas in Fayetteville) in their bowl game. Colorado is in year six of the Mike MacIntyre rebuild, and he's finally getting some traction.
Both losses were by less than a touchdown, so Nebraska could have won either game on their last possession. But we trailed in those instances thanks in large part to our own unforced errors. Untimely penalties, turnovers, poor execution, all either stalled drives or allowed points. Nebraska's three turnovers against Colorado led to 14 points, and while Troy didn't turn turnovers into points, each one stalled a potential scoring drive. Nebraska is at -5 in turnover margin through two games. Penalties have been a mixed bag, since some of these calls are questionable, to say the least. But our guys are putting themselves in position for refs to make those calls, and if you have inconsistent refs, you have to play clean and not allow them reasons to throw those flags. We haven't been doing that.
There's a discussion to be had about how much talent we actually have on the team. I think there's talent, and some really good skill players, but there's some talent gaps. Frost & Co. are working on that.
Frost is the hero incarnate, I know. But he and the coaches - who went 13-0 last year and clearly know better - have made some galling errors. Not burning clock vs. Colorado. Not opening up the playbook. Late play-calling decisions that lead to stupid penalties. Instilling a culture that "We are Nebraska" which means Nebraska of the 1990s instead of Nebraska the underdog trying to claw its way out of the cellar. Frost and his staff are selling a dream, not a reality. The whole staff, from Moos down to the interns, are doing that, to be fair. The graphics are all throwbacks to dominant days, days long gone, that this team has no recollection of and no idea how to emulate. You can't sell that package to an audience who doesn't understand it.
So that's my list. It's short because I'm lazy and tired as a$$ after standing in a hotbox for four hours yesterday thanks to stupid Troy and stupid hurricane Florence and that stupid fool in the red shirt who stands on the field during TV timeouts. I'm going to find that guy and Nancy Kerrigan his kneecap and see how he stands in two weeks when Purdue comes to town. And I did yard work today and it was hot and Florence is the worst thing in the history of things today and whatever.
Give me your other. I missed stuff, I know.
Go Big Red. Every day 'til I die.
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